Maccabi Tel Aviv Advances Talks to Sign Forward Armando Bacot

Maccabi Tel Aviv is progressing in negotiations to sign Armando Bacot, a 26-year-old forward who played last season with Fenerbahçe. The club aims to strengthen its frontcourt alongside existing players Roman Sorkin, T.J. Leaf, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and Shane Hunter. Bacot, standing 2.08 meters tall, is expected to join as a secondary big man rather than the team's primary center, as Maccabi continues to seek a higher-profile center to anchor the position.

Bacot played five years at the University of North Carolina, where he was highly regarded and earned ACC All-Conference honors in his final seasons. He began his professional career with the Memphis Hustle, the NBA G League affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies, averaging 16.8 points and 9.5 rebounds over 50 games. Last summer, he attempted to secure an NBA contract but ultimately signed with Fenerbahçe in September. However, his integration there was limited, with averages of 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in EuroLeague play and 6 points and 3.7 rebounds in the Turkish league.

Maccabi Tel Aviv has already added players Yam Madar and Bonzi Colson this summer and brought back Shane Hunter from a loan spell in Poland. The club is also exploring additional frontcourt options, including players available from the NBA and those with exit clauses in European and Asian teams, to further bolster their roster.

Summary: Maccabi Tel Aviv is close to signing Armando Bacot to strengthen its frontcourt, while continuing to seek a leading center. Bacot, a former UNC standout, played last season with Fenerbahçe but had limited impact. The club has also added other players and is exploring more options to enhance its squad.

Points: - Maccabi Tel Aviv is in advanced talks to sign forward Armando Bacot from Fenerbahçe. - Bacot will join as a secondary big man; the club seeks a higher-profile center. - Bacot played five years at UNC and started professionally with Memphis Hustle. - Last season, Bacot averaged modest stats in EuroLeague and Turkish league with Fenerbahçe. - Maccabi has already signed Yam Madar, Bonzi Colson, and recalled Shane Hunter. - The club is exploring additional frontcourt players from NBA and international leagues.

Topic: sports israel_relevant: true Entities: {"people": ["Armando Bacot", "Roman Sorkin", "T.J. Leaf", "Jalen Hood-Schifino", "Shane Hunter", "Yam Madar", "Bonzi Colson"], "organizations": ["Maccabi Tel Aviv", "Fenerbahçe", "Memphis Hustle", "Memphis Grizzlies", "University of North Carolina"], "places": ["Israel", "Turkey", "United States", "Poland"]}