Hapoel Tel Aviv could be about to sign the biggest NBA name in EuroLeague history
Apr 7, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook (18) catches a ball while sitting on the bench during a game against the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Hapoël Tel-Aviv may be on the verge of the biggest signing in the club’s history — and one of the biggest the EuroLeague has ever seen. According to The Jerusalem Post, Russell Westbrook is in advanced talks to join the Israeli club. NBA insider Marc Jacobs added on X that discussions between the two parties “continue to advance.” No agreement has been officially confirmed, and reports of a signed deal circulating on social media are not corroborated by credible sources.
Westbrook, 37, enters free agency after spending the 2025-2026 season with the Sacramento Kings, where he averaged 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. Sacramento is not expected to bring him back. The Athletic had previously reported that Westbrook was seriously considering continuing his career outside the NBA for the first time — a first in an 18-season career spent entirely between Oklahoma City, Houston, Washington, the Lakers, the Clippers, Denver and Sacramento.
A landmark move for European basketball
The path to Tel Aviv was not straightforward. About two weeks before the latest reports, Hapoel was already being linked to Westbrook alongside Panathinaikos and Dubaï Basketball — but sources close to the Israeli club denied any interest at the time. The tone shifted around August 10-11, with US reports indicating that contacts between Hapoel and Westbrook were not only real but actively progressing.
Should the deal go through, Hapoel Tel Aviv would be adding a name with few equals in the sport’s history to a EuroLeague roster. The reigning EuroCup champions are competing in the EuroLeague for a second consecutive season, and The Jerusalem Post described a potential Westbrook signing as one of the biggest transfers ever seen in European basketball.
Westbrook would also join a very short list of NBA MVPs to have played in Europe — and by far the most decorated. Bob McAdoo, the 1974-1975 MVP, had a long and productive stint in Italy, winning titles and earning All-Star recognition. Allen Iverson, the 2000-2001 MVP, joined Besiktas Istanbul in 2009, but his spell in Turkey lasted only around four months and proved disappointing, with averages of 9.3 points on 37% shooting in EuroCup.
None of them arrives with Westbrook’s résumé. He is the 2016-2017 NBA MVP with the Oklahoma City Thunder, a nine-time All-Star, the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles, and a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. If he lands in Tel Aviv, the EuroLeague will have never hosted a player with that level of NBA pedigree.
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