Kiryat Ata has strengthened its backcourt for next season, confirming the signing of Oz Chuli from National League side Elitzur Yavne, where the 24-year-old had captained the team.
Chuli, who stands 1.94m, arrives with a strong statistical case: last season he averaged 14.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals across 35 games for Yavne. "I'm very happy and excited to start a new chapter in the Premier League," he said after putting pen to paper. "I'm ready to give everything for Kiryat Ata's amazing fans."
The move up a division comes as Kiryat Ata reshuffles its roster. Gal Beytner, who wore the captain's armband last season under coach Eldad Bentov and was valued for his defensive intensity, has left the club after two years, moving instead to Maccabi Rehovot in the National League.
Further south, Hapoel Haifa is working on a far higher-profile addition. ONE reports the club is in advanced negotiations with veteran center Alex Tyus to join its National League roster, though nothing has been signed yet.
Tyus, 38, is one of the most decorated imports-turned-citizens in Israeli basketball history. He won the EuroLeague title with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2014 and has also played for Real Madrid and Galatasaray during a long European career, alongside a spell at Hapoel Jerusalem.
It is not the first time the two sides have been linked. Hapoel Haifa previously tried to bring Tyus in during the current season, reportedly offering him close to six figures for a season and a half in a bid to make him the highest-paid Israeli player in National League history — an approach Tyus rejected at the time while he was still playing in Turkey.
Alongside the Tyus talks, Hapoel Haifa is also weighing a move for Maxim Romanov, a 25-year-old, 2.01m forward who has come through several National League clubs including Maccabi Kiryat Gat and Maccabi Rishon LeZion.
None of the Hapoel Haifa business is done, but with Kiryat Ata's ins and outs already confirmed, the National League's close season is clearly heating up.
