Maccabi Tel Aviv Postpones Decision on Shane Hunter's Potential Loan Move
Maccabi Tel Aviv decided Shane Hunter will remain with the club until next month's national team break, amid strong interest from several Israeli league teams regarding a potential loan.
Maccabi Tel Aviv has decided that forward-center Shane Hunter will remain with the club for the time being, with a final decision regarding a potential loan move postponed until after next month's national team break.
Maccabi Ramat Gan, Hapoel Galil Elion, and Hapoel Beersheba have all expressed interest in acquiring the player's services and have contacted Maccabi regarding a possible loan until the end of the season. At this stage, the club prefers to keep the player within the extended roster.
Roster Status and Regulations
The yellow-and-blue brought back the 25-year-old, 2.08-meter big man this summer after he spent last season on loan at Polish side Legia Warsaw. Hunter signed a three-year deal with Maccabi last summer, but since the start of the current campaign, he has rarely featured in domestic league or EuroLeague games.
Hunter is classified as a new naturalized player under league rules, which permit each club to register only one such player. Currently, that designated slot is occupied by Will Rayman. Maccabi previously appealed to the league's exceptions committee regarding Rayman, arguing that while he had not played in Israel for three consecutive years, he had accumulated four total years in the country. The committee rejected the request, and head coach Oded Kattash has favored Rayman in most league matches.
Future Outlook and Previous Stats
In his only league appearance for Maccabi this season, Hunter recorded a solid double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds. Market sources indicate that if he is loaned out, he is expected to remain in the Israeli league. Maccabi also registered him for the EuroLeague last week to create additional opportunities, though he has not yet seen action in the continental competition.
During his stint with Legia Warsaw last season, Hunter averaged 9.2 points on 63% shooting from two-point range, 5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game in the Polish league. In his debut season in the FIBA Champions League, he posted averages of 8.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1 block, and a PIR of 12.
