Starting point
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade enter the 2026/27 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season with a roster that looks different from the previous cycle. The club's participation is confirmed, and the campaign opens at home against Zalgiris Kaunas on 24 September. With no consolidated record available for 2025/26, the read on this team starts with the summer market and the current squad list.
The Aleksandar Nikolic Hall remains the reference stage for a project that still targets a competitive regular season and aims to turn home-court pressure into a genuine edge against teams with different profiles.
Roster changes
The summer brought meaningful departures. Codi Miller-McIntyre moved to Olympiacos BC and Joel Bolomboy to LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, while several players ended their contracts with the club, including Isaiah Canaan, Nikola Kalinic, Devonte Graham, Donatas Motiejunas, Uros Plavsic, Jasiel Rivero Fernandez, Yago Dos Santos and other Serbian depth pieces.
On the incoming side, four moves stand out from elite European environments: Chris Jones and Johnathan Motley arrived from Hapoel Tel Aviv, David Kramer from Real Madrid and Nick Weiler-Babb from Anadolu Efes Istanbul. The club also signed Nikola Djurisic and Andrej Bjelic. The current roster lists 19 players, mixing imports with local young talent such as Stefan Miljenovic, Ognjen Dobric, Dejan Davidovac, Aleksej Nedeljkovic, Vojin Medarevic and Bjelic himself.
Inside, Johnathan Motley, Ebuka Izundu, Patrick Baldwin Jr., Vojin Medarevic and Chima Moneke coexist, while the perimeter rotation includes Jared Butler, Chris Jones, Tyson Carter, Jordan Nwora, Semi Ojeleye, David Kramer and Nick Weiler-Babb.
Identity and strengths
The team's identity points toward tactical versatility backed by bench depth. Crvena Zvezda can change pace with creative guards and a physical frontcourt without relying on a single offensive hub. Players with EuroLeague experience and time in demanding markets — from Spain to Israel — add competitive maturity.
Chris Jones is one of the most intriguing profiles in the project. The American point guard, wearing number 1, arrives from Hapoel Tel Aviv and carries recent high-level form with Armenia at the 2026/27 FIBA World Cup: 23.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game over four games.
David Kramer brings European mileage after leaving Real Madrid. The shooting guard, number 44, adds continuity in perimeter scoring and high-pressure experience; with Germany at the same FIBA World Cup he posted 12.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in six games.
Inside, Johnathan Motley strengthens a mobile big-man role after arriving from Hapoel Tel Aviv. Alongside pieces such as Izundu, Baldwin Jr. and Moneke, he gives the staff options in rim protection, rebounding and transition spacing.
The Serbian core — Miljenovic, Dobric, Davidovac, Djurisic and Nedeljkovic among others — keeps the link with local talent and crowd pressure, a familiar ingredient in the club's regular-season performances.
Risks
The main question is the simultaneous integration of several new pieces in decisive roles. Losing references such as Miller-McIntyre and Bolomboy forces a rebuild of defensive habits and offensive roles without much adaptation time, because the calendar starts immediately.
Depth can be an asset, but also a rotation challenge if playing-time hierarchy is slow to settle. Several newcomers arrive from different basketball cultures — Tel Aviv, Madrid, Istanbul — and chemistry time will matter in the opening months.
Finally, the early schedule includes direct rivals and emotionally charged games, including the away derby at Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade on 22 October, which raises the cost of any uneven start.
Expectations and reasonable forecast
From an editorial standpoint, Crvena Zvezda look capable of fighting for a solid regular-season position in EuroLeague 2026/27, leaning on roster quality and home-court advantage in Belgrade. Even so, projecting a specific Final Four target would be premature before seeing the team in official action; a prudent read places them in the fight for the upper half of the table and, at minimum, for stability without a desperate closing stretch.
If the frontcourt and playmaking fit quickly, the ceiling could move toward the Play-In zone or beyond. If integration takes longer, the reasonable target shifts toward consolidating a mid-to-upper table presence and using Aleksandar Nikolic as a fortress against less stable projects.
Opening schedule
The early calendar confirms a demanding start. After opening at home against Zalgiris Kaunas on 24 September, Crvena Zvezda host Hapoel Tel Aviv on 29 September and Anadolu Efes Istanbul on 1 October — immediate tests against recent rivals and former teammates.
The first road trip comes on 8 October at Dubai Basketball, followed by visits to LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne — Joel Bolomboy's new team — and a return to Belgrade against Paris Basketball on 16 October. The stretch closes with the away derby at Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade on 22 October and another home game against Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv on 27 October.
Those first eight games will set the season's tone: home reliability, road response and performance under pressure.