Maccabi Tel Aviv Nears Deal with French Guard Killian Hayes

Maccabi Tel Aviv is in advanced negotiations with French guard Killian Hayes, who is close to finalizing his terms with the club and is expected to join the yellow-and-blue squad to fill the spot left by the injured Iffe Lundberg. In recent days, club management worked intensively to secure a reinforcement player to step into the shoes of the Danish guard, holding continuous talks throughout the past week.

The French guard, whose G-League rights belong to the Oklahoma City Thunder affiliate, has played in the NBA in recent years after being selected seventh overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. Throughout his career in the world's premier league and the development league, he has worn the jerseys of the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Sacramento Kings.

Simultaneously, Maccabi Tel Aviv also examined the option of signing American guard Blake Wesley, but he signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, ensuring he will continue playing in the top league for the near future. Wesley, 23 and standing 1.91 meters tall, played last season for the Portland Trail Blazers alongside Deni Avdija, though an injury caused him to miss significant portions of the season. Prior to that, he played for the San Antonio Spurs for three seasons.

Additionally, the club is holding discussions with veteran guard Nemanja Nedovic, though it remains unclear whether he will be signed in addition to Hayes. The 35-year-old Serbian guard, measuring 1.92 meters, played last season for AS Monaco, averaging 6.1 points per game in Europe's premier competition.