Yam Madar and Tamir Blatt Set New Salary Records in Israeli Basketball

The anticipated transfers of Israeli basketball players Yam Madar and Tamir Blatt are not only shaking up the transfer market but also breaking salary records in Israeli basketball. Madar is expected to sign a three-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv, with an option for two additional seasons, earning approximately $2 million per season. Meanwhile, Blatt is set to join Hapoel Tel Aviv on a three-year deal worth around $1.6 million annually. These contracts surpass previous salary records for Israeli players in the domestic league and even exceed the highest contract given to an Israeli footballer playing in Israel.

For context, Eran Zahavi, after returning from the Netherlands, earned about 1.2 million euros per season at Maccabi Tel Aviv for two seasons before agreeing to a pay cut. Despite currency fluctuations, Madar and Blatt's contracts are higher. Madar himself previously held the highest local basketball salary at roughly $1.9 million per season with Hapoel Tel Aviv, but his new deal will make him the top-paid Israeli basketball player domestically.

In the ranking of highest salaries in Israeli basketball, Madar leads with $2 million per season, followed by his previous $1.9 million contract, and Blatt in third with $1.6 million. Other notable salaries include Omri Casspi at about $1 million per season with Maccabi Tel Aviv and Roman Sorkin at approximately $900,000 annually. Additionally, this summer saw new salary highs beyond these two transfers: Hapoel Jerusalem signed Jared Harper for around $1.7 million per season, the highest in the club's history, and Ironi Nes Ziona broke its salary record with a net contract of about $450,000 per season for Adam Ariel.

If these contracts are finalized soon, this summer will mark a historic financial milestone in Israeli basketball, setting a new salary benchmark for Israeli players competing in the local league.