Maccabi Tel Aviv Faces Key Player Absences Ahead of Season Start
Maccabi Tel Aviv's basketball team is confronting significant challenges ahead of the new season as several key players are unavailable due to international commitments. Although the roster was recently finalized with the signing of Keaton Wallace and the return of loaned player Shane Hunter, coach Oded Katash faces difficulties assembling the full squad for training starting in mid-August.
German national team announced that Daniel Theis will participate in the August World Cup qualifiers, including a preparatory tournament next week, making him unavailable for Maccabi's early sessions. Similarly, Jalen Hood-Schifino received an official call-up from the French national team and will also miss the start of training. Another uncertain case is Efe Lundberg, who may join Denmark's EuroBasket 2029 qualifying tournament against Romania on August 27. Although the Danish roster is not yet official, Lundberg's photo appears in promotional material, despite not playing for Denmark since February 2025.
Adding to the absences, Israeli national team players Roman Sorkin and Yam Madar will begin training with their national squad early in the week, while injured players Yogev Levi and T.J. Leaf remain sidelined. Theis, Hood-Schifino, and the Israeli internationals are expected to join Maccabi only in early September, with Lundberg possibly arriving a few days earlier if selected. This situation means Maccabi Tel Aviv will start training with just nine players, including Amitt Avu and Shane Hunter, who are mainly expected to support the squad and participate in league games.
Maccabi Tel Aviv plans four preparatory games before the Super Cup on September 17 against Hapoel Tel Aviv at Menora Mivtachim Arena. The team will host Bnei Herzliya on September 3 and Maccabi Rishon LeZion on September 8, both without spectators. Subsequently, they will compete in a training tournament in Cyprus on September 11 and 13 against Aris Thessaloniki and Olympiacos, respectively. Coach Katash faces a challenging summer in readying the team amid these absences.
