Maccabi Tel Aviv Pursues NBA Veterans Wiseman and Chibuwa, Eyes Viladosa as Lundberg Replacement

Maccabi Tel Aviv is actively seeking to strengthen its roster during the current break by adding two frontcourt players. The club was disappointed when Bruno Fernando chose to join Anadolu Efes despite a competitive offer from Maccabi. Among the top candidates still under consideration are Hassiel Ribeiro, a former Maccabi player recovering from injuries at Red Star Belgrade, and two players with NBA experience: James Wiseman and Oscar Chibuwa.

James Wiseman, the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, has struggled to establish himself in the league and was waived in December. He recently played for the U.S. national team in World Cup qualifiers and is now seeking a EuroLeague team, with Maccabi being one of the interested parties. Oscar Chibuwa, 26, has a strong collegiate background and has played on two-way contracts with the Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz, excelling in the NBA G League. He recently had talks with Partizan Belgrade but opted to remain with Utah.

Meanwhile, Maccabi is trying to finalize the retention of Danish guard Ife Lundberg. Anadolu Efes showed interest but ultimately signed Mike James, likely closing the door on Lundberg’s move there. Maccabi plans to apply pressure to complete Lundberg’s deal soon. Concurrently, the club is negotiating with Luka Viladosa, a seasoned EuroLeague player with nearly a decade of experience, who last played for Virtus Bologna and averaged 7.6 points and 4.4 assists in 31 EuroLeague games this season.

Maccabi Tel Aviv faces a narrowing pool of options and may need to compromise on some terms as it works to assemble a competitive squad for the upcoming season.