Hapoel Tel Aviv Eyes Nick Weiler-Babb Amid Villeurbanne Financial Troubles

French club Villeurbanne is facing financial difficulties after failing to provide the necessary guarantees for its large budget, putting the futures of its star players in doubt. Hapoel Tel Aviv has initiated contact with representatives of Nick Weiler-Babb, the 30-year-old point guard who signed with Villeurbanne earlier in July but now faces an uncertain future. The Israeli team is coached by Dimitris Itoudis and is looking to strengthen its roster amid these developments.

Villeurbanne president Tony Parker has engaged in preliminary talks with Hapoel Tel Aviv regarding Weiler-Babb. During these discussions, Parker proposed Daniel Theis and Joel Bolomboy, who also recently joined Villeurbanne, but Hapoel Tel Aviv prefers other options for their frontcourt. Meanwhile, Silvain Francisco, another recent Villeurbanne signee, is reportedly on his way out to Panathinaikos, suggesting further roster changes this summer.

Weiler-Babb played last season with Anadolu Efes, averaging 7.7 points, 4.8 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per EuroLeague game, with shooting splits of 48.2% on two-pointers, 36.6% on three-pointers, and 75.4% from the free-throw line. Prior to that, he was a key player for Bayern Munich from 2020 to 2025 and was named EuroLeague Defensive Player of the Year in his final season there. The ongoing financial issues at Villeurbanne have opened the door for Hapoel Tel Aviv to pursue Weiler-Babb as a potential new star addition.