Maccabi Tel Aviv's summer frontcourt rebuild is taking shape, with ONE reporting that the club appears close to signing German centre Daniel Theis, whose candidacy the outlet says it was first to report.
Theis, 34, stands 2.03m and is expected to leave ASVEL Villeurbanne this summer after the French club ran into financial difficulties, according to the report. Sportando, citing Israel Hayom's Tomer Givati, separately reported that Maccabi have opened advanced negotiations with the veteran big man.
The competition for his signature is real. Sportando's reporting adds that Hapoel Tel Aviv showed early interest in Theis, while Barcelona also remain in the race after missing out on Moses Wright, underlining how sought-after the experienced centre is around the EuroLeague this window.
Alongside Theis, ONE reports that Maccabi are also on the verge of adding another big man, American centre Armando Bacot Jr., who spent last season at Fenerbahce. The 26-year-old, 2.08m, is expected to sign with the yellow-and-blue.
Bacot's move to Israel would mark a reset after a difficult debut EuroLeague season. Under Fenerbahce coach Sarunas Jasikevicius he saw limited minutes, averaging just 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in EuroLeague play, a sharp comedown from his college numbers at North Carolina, where he set the program's career rebounding record. Turkish and EuroLeague outlets have reported Maccabi are lining up a two-year contract for him.
The double swoop for size comes as Maccabi manage a parallel departure at the other end of the roster. ONE reports that guard Lonnie Walker is moving toward an exit, with the club estimating the transaction will close around $600,000.
Walker joined Maccabi a year ago on a guaranteed three-year deal worth more than $2.2 million annually, built with an NBA opt-out clause each summer, but he failed to land an NBA contract this offseason. He averaged 15.2 points and 2.2 assists last season and has reportedly been offered to Partizan Belgrade and Real Madrid as Maccabi and the guard work toward an amicable split.
None of the moves has been made official by the club as of Thursday, and each remains, in ONE's framing, a matter of advanced talks rather than a done deal. But taken together, they point to a significant reshaping of Maccabi's roster heading into the new EuroLeague season, swapping perimeter scoring for size and experience up front.
