Competition heating up for Cordinier, Beaubois and Loyd at Anadolu Efes: talented guard arrives from Olympiacos

Anadolu Efes officially announced on Monday the signing of Saben Lee, confirming Eurohoops reports of an agreement to finalize his transfer from Olympiacos. The Turkish club announced in its statement: « We have signed American player Saben Lee, who previously played for Olympiacos in Greece, on a contract until the end of the season. »

✍️ Saben Lee ile 2025-26 sezonu sonuna kadar sözleşme imzaladık! #Welcome Saben! #BenimYerimBurası pic.twitter.com/OFVClFNyc4

— Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) December 29, 2025

An atypical journey between NBA and Europe

The 26-year-old combo-guard arrives in Turkey after a disappointing stint with the Reds. This season in EuroLeague, he only averaged 3.4 points, 1.4 assists and 0.4 rebounds per game in 11 appearances, all as a substitute, with just 11 minutes of playing time on average. Statistics far from his potential, despite contributing to the Greek championship and Greek Cup titles last season.

A 2020 graduate from Vanderbilt University, Lee has NBA experience with 134 games played between the Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers. He particularly shined in the G-League during the 2021-2022 season, finishing as the top scorer with 28.5 points per game. His European journey took him from Manisa Basket to Maccabi Tel-Aviv, before arriving at Olympiacos in February 2024.

Efes banking on Lee to revive their season

Pablo Laso and his staff hope this change of environment will allow Lee to rediscover his form. Anadolu Efes is going through a difficult period with a record of 6 wins and 12 losses in EuroLeague, sitting four wins away from the Play-In zone. In the Turkish championship, the Istanbul team has a 7-6 record, six games behind the undefeated leader, Besiktas. Saben Lee will compete with two French guards, Isaïa Cordinier and Rodrigue Beaubois, as well as former Monaco player Jordan Loyd.

Meanwhile, Olympiacos could quickly compensate for this departure with an American big man. According to Eurohoops sources, Tyrique Jones is about to leave Partizan Belgrade – after being booed by fans in the last game against Maccabi Tel-Aviv – and could join the Greek club before next Monday’s deadline. The American big man is averaging 10.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game this season in EuroLeague, and his departure from Belgrade seems imminent following recent confrontations with supporters.