Hapoel Tel Aviv have never spent like this. As the club builds its roster for the 2026-27 EuroLeague season, ONE reports that owner Ofer Yanai has financed the priciest squad in the team's history — and argues the outlay leaves the club with essentially one acceptable outcome come next spring: a place in the Final Four.
The spending has been channelled through sporting director Georgios Chinas, and the marquee example is center Daniel Oturu. His contract has been extended, with Hapoel fending off rival offers reported at $1.7 million a year by paying him around $2.4 million annually — a package ONE says beat the market by roughly $2.1 million over three seasons.
Forward Zach LeDay arrived on a similar scale, joining after two seasons at Olimpia Milano on a deal ONE puts at close to $2.8 million a year. Other additions, the outlet reports, were signed at fees around $3 million despite market valuations closer to $1.5-1.6 million — numbers Hapoel's spending is accused of helping inflate across European basketball more broadly.
Yet ONE's central argument is that the money has not bought balance. Vasilis Micic and Tomas Satoransky give Hapoel real strength at center, and LeDay's arrival deepens the four spot, but the backcourt remains a concern even after all the outlay — expensive pieces stacked in some areas while others stay thin.
Guard Tamir Blatt is the clearest illustration. He joined Hapoel from city rivals Maccabi Tel Aviv in what was widely described as a swap deal with Yam Madar moving the other way, on a contract reported elsewhere at around €1.6 million over three seasons. But ONE reports his role at Hapoel remains murky, with conflicting accounts of what was actually offered and agreed — an unresolved situation for a player who ranked eighth in the league for assists last season and has a track record of delivering in the EuroLeague.
The Blatt uncertainty carries an extra sting because of who left in the other direction. Madar, Hapoel's backcourt leader, signed a three-year deal with Maccabi through 2028/29 after concluding he would not get the playing time and recognition he wanted in Tel Aviv — a departure ONE frames as a genuine loss dressed up as a trade.
All of this sits against EuroLeague's licensing structure, which ONE says requires clubs to reach the playoff quarterfinals regularly simply to justify their place in the competition. The outlet's reading of the rules is stark: by the 2027/28 season, reaching the Final Four on its own will not guarantee Hapoel's continued participation — only winning the title, securing a wildcard, or locking in a multi-year license would settle the club's long-term status.
Set against a budget this large and a roster this expensive, ONE's verdict is blunt: anything short of the Final Four next season would amount to a resounding failure for Hapoel Tel Aviv, whatever shape the rest of the campaign takes.
