Maccabi Tel Aviv have loaned forward Braelee Albert to National League club Maccabi Ironi Ra'anana for the 2026/27 season, ONE reports, while at the other end of Israel's second tier, big man Atir Talmor has signed with Elitzur Yavne — two depth-roster moves that will shape rosters before the campaign tips off.
Albert, 25 and 1.96 metres tall, signed his first professional contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv last year after a college career split between Vanderbilt, Tulane and Loyola New Orleans. The naturalized American was never expected to feature regularly in the yellow-and-blue's Euroleague rotation, so the club has again sent him out to accumulate court time.
It has not been straightforward. Last season he was loaned to both Elitzur Netanya and Hapoel Rivulis Upper Galilee, but according to ONE he was unable to see meaningful minutes for either club after picking up an injury.
This time he lands at Ra'anana under coach Goni Yisraeli, who takes charge of the Sharon club for the new campaign, ONE reports.
Talmor's move is a more straightforward development story. The 20-year-old, listed at 2.07 metres, is a graduate of Ironi Nes Tziona's youth system and played for the senior side last season while also appearing on loan in the National League with Holon.
He has now signed with Elitzur Yavne, where Kobi Chason continues as head coach — Yavne's local outlet BE106 confirmed this week that Chason and assistant Yuval Barak are both staying on as the club opens preseason training for 2026/27.
Neither move is likely to generate headlines on its own, but both fit a familiar late-August pattern in Israeli basketball's National League, where clubs finalize their rosters with an eye on giving unproven or returning players a genuine chance to play regular minutes before the season begins.
