ASVEL « saved in the short term » with €3 million contribution from Cholet businessman
July 4, 2025
Lilian Bordron
The ASVEL – Cholet connection continues: Lyon-Villeurbanne brings in the Mauges club’s center
Betclic ELITE - After Bodian Massa, ASVEL officially announced on Monday the signing of French center Bastien Vautier from Cholet. The two-time Betclic ELITE All-Star activated his release clause to join the Villeurbanne club, which competes in EuroLeague.
Photo Credit : ESSM Le Portel
ASVEL continues building its frontcourt with a new French profile. After announcing the arrival of Bodian Massa, the Rhône club officially announced the signing of Bastien Vautier (2.10 m, 26 years old) for two seasons. The 2.10m center, who played this season for Cholet Basket, decided to activate his release clause to take the next step and compete at the highest European level.
Welcome Bastien! 🇫🇷
We are happy to announce the signing of French center Bastien Vautier for the next two seasons with the club.
A tall profile with undeniable technical skills in the low post, Bastien Vautier (26 years old, 2m10) is part… pic.twitter.com/Y5fYqpa0to
— LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) July 8, 2025
A solid big man to strengthen Villeurbanne’s frontcourt
Having come through SLUC Nancy’s youth academy, Bastien Vautier has gradually established himself as a cornerstone of the French championship. A two-time All-Star, he comes off a strong season with Cholet Basket (11.3 points, 5 rebounds, 2.4 assists in Betclic ELITE; 12.9 points, 5.8 rebounds in FIBA Europe Cup). His low-post efficiency and size make him a complementary addition to Villeurbanne’s interior rotation.
« A tall profile with undeniable technical skills in the low post, Bastien Vautier has been one of the best French players in the championship for several seasons, » ASVEL wrote in its press release. The Rhône club keeps bringing in former Cholet players. During the 2024-2025 season, the Villeurbanne institution had recruited Andre Roberson, who was coming off a successful stint in the Mauges. Recently, a businessman from the city helped save the company holding the sporting rights, which was on the brink of financial collapse.
A career built with patience
After suffering an ACL tear in early April 2021 while still at Nancy, Vautier resumed basketball in Quimper in 2022 before relaunching his career at Lille in Pro B during the 2022-2023 season, where he was selected to the all-league team. Moving to Le Portel to truly discover Betclic ELITE, then to Cholet to confirm his potential, he has continuously evolved his game to establish himself in the elite division.
At 26, he will discover EuroLeague and is about to experience a new important step in his career. At ASVEL, he will face strong competition but also find a work environment conducive to improvement, with the goal of helping the club get back on track on the European stage.
Gabriel Pantel-Jouve is the founder and editor-in-chief of BeBasket, which he has been running since 2010 (formerly known as Catch & Shoot). Having studied at the École Publique de Journalisme de Tours and two universities in North America, he has developed his expertise in French basketball, from the National League to amateur divisions, over the past 20 years. Alongside this, he is also involved in the development of clubs in the Montpellier area.
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