Hapoel Tel Aviv Spends Over $2,500 Per Minute on Liwei Randolph Before Releasing Him

Hapoel Tel Aviv officially released Liwei Randolph on July 5, 2026, after the player appeared in only 18 games for the team. Randolph, a former Maccabi player, joined Hapoel Tel Aviv in late February on a contract worth $500,000 until the end of the season. The club also paid an additional $150,000 buyout fee to Zenit for his transfer. During his tenure, Randolph played a total of 260 minutes across 12 EuroLeague games and 6 domestic league matches. This means the club paid him approximately $1,923 per minute of play. Including the buyout cost, the total expenditure per minute rose to about $2,500. On a per-game basis, Hapoel Tel Aviv spent nearly $28,000 on Randolph's salary alone, and over $36,000 when factoring in the buyout. The club's significant financial investment in Randolph contrasts with his limited playing time and eventual release.