Israeli Basketball's Top Three Clubs Announce Record Player Salaries for 2026/27 Season

Ahead of the 2026/27 basketball season starting next month, Israel's three leading basketball teams, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Tel Aviv, and Hapoel Jerusalem, have revealed unprecedented player salary budgets. This follows a continuing trend of rising salaries in European basketball, with all three clubs reaching record payrolls.

Hapoel Tel Aviv leads by a wide margin, with a total player salary budget of approximately $31.83 million, up from $23.23 million last season. Their top earners include Vasilije Micić at $6 million, Elijah Bryant at $5 million, and Zack Laidey at $3 million for the upcoming season.

Maccabi Tel Aviv has also significantly increased its payroll to about $18.05 million from $10.28 million last year. Key players include Daniel Theis and Lonnie Walker, each earning $2.2 million, followed by Yam Madar and Othello Hunter at $2 million each. The club is expected to add Armando Bacot and Keaton Wallace soon, with Wallace likely replacing Walker.

Hapoel Jerusalem's player salaries have nearly doubled to $10.48 million from $5.79 million last season. Their highest-paid players are Jared Harper at $1.7 million, David Roddy at $1.5 million, and Kenny Lofton Jr. at $1.3 million. Other notable salaries include Devontae Cacok and Shake Milton at $1 million each.

These salary increases reflect the clubs' efforts to strengthen their rosters ahead of the new season and keep pace with the broader European basketball market. The figures represent guaranteed earnings for the 2026/27 season, with some players expected to receive further raises in subsequent years.