Hapoel Tel Aviv Negotiates to Sign Guard Jerian Grant from Panathinaikos

Hapoel Tel Aviv is currently in talks with Panathinaikos to acquire guard Jerian Grant, who is still under contract with the Greek club. Grant, 33 years old and 1.96 meters tall, has played for Panathinaikos for the past three seasons and won the EuroLeague with them. Hapoel is prepared to offer financial compensation to Panathinaikos to secure the transfer.

Grant has maintained a stable role in Panathinaikos' rotation under coach Argin Ataman, who left the club last summer. However, his performance last season declined compared to previous years, averaging 6.9 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per EuroLeague game. His first season stats included 8.6 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Panathinaikos recently returned to coach Željko Obradović, who signed Branko Lazić to strengthen the backcourt alongside Kendrick Nunn and Kostas Sloukas.

If the deal for Grant does not materialize, Hapoel Tel Aviv plans to pursue other options, including guards Eugene German and Jamir Young. German, 28, is a combo guard who played college basketball at Northern Illinois and has professional experience in Greece, Turkey, China, and Puerto Rico. Last season, he averaged 17.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in Puerto Rico. Young, 25, played college basketball at Charlotte and Maryland, went undrafted in 2024, and has played in the NBA G League and briefly for the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat. He recently posted strong numbers in the NBA Summer League, averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.

Additionally, Hapoel is in contact with Cam Payne and Spencer Dinwiddie, though they are not considered primary candidates for the roster spot. The club aims to finalize its guard lineup as part of coach Dimitris Itoudis's evolving squad.