David Roddy touched down at Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday night, becoming the second Hapoel Jerusalem import to arrive in Israel ahead of the new season, after point guard Jared Harper.

The 25-year-old American forward has signed with the Jerusalem club for the 2026/27 season, with a club option for a further year, marking his first taste of professional basketball outside the United States after four seasons bouncing around the NBA.

"The project happening here this year is excellent and I love it," Roddy said on arrival, according to ONE. He was candid about the adjustment ahead: "It will take time to adjust to playing outside the USA."

He described his own game in simple terms: a player who loves competing, versatile, and able to pass, shoot and defend.

Roddy said the club's ambitions for the season are clear-cut — win the EuroCup and secure qualification for the EuroLeague, a target Hapoel Jerusalem has chased in recent seasons under owner Ori Allon's rebuild.

His path to Jerusalem has been a winding one. Colorado State's standout forward was picked 23rd overall by Philadelphia in the 2022 NBA draft and immediately traded to Memphis on draft night. From there he moved through Phoenix, Atlanta, Philadelphia again and Houston before finishing last season with the Denver Nuggets, totalling well over 170 NBA appearances.

He also featured for the United States national team in World Cup qualifying matches in February, giving him recent experience of international-style basketball ahead of the switch to Europe.

In Jerusalem, Roddy joins a foreign contingent that already includes Devante Cacok and Jalen Smith alongside Harper, all playing under head coach Sasha Obradović. Hebrew media reports have put the value of his deal at somewhere between roughly $1 million and $1.5 million for the first season, though the club has not published an official figure.

Roddy is expected to begin training with his new teammates in the coming weeks as Hapoel Jerusalem builds toward a campaign in which both a domestic title push and a EuroCup run are firmly on the agenda.