iLERNA Lleida open the 2026/27 Liga Endesa season as one of the youngest projects in the league. They arrive at the league tip-off after recent activity in the Lliga Catalana, where they reached the final by overturning Girona, and after friendly games that included a 99-103 win over Kids&Us Manresa.
The registered roster for this campaign lists thirteen players under contract since 1 July, according to the official ACB register. On the perimeter, Dani García, Adrià Rodríguez and Darius McGhee stand out at point guard, with James Batemon and Mark Hughes at shooting guard. Inside, the project features John Shurna, Melvin Ejim, Atoumane Diagne, Kur Kuath and Zacharie Perrin, plus forwards Mikel Sanz and Oriol Paulí.
The most recent confirmed market move is the arrival of Aurimas Majauskas, announced on 18 August on a non-guaranteed deal. It is the only effective transaction recorded before the start of the competition, which points to structural continuity around the group already tied to the club.
At the creative hub, Darius McGhee gives iLERNA Lleida an imported point guard in command. His role will be central to organising the offence and sustaining pace in a team that will need defensive solidity to stay competitive game by game in the top flight.
Majauskas, meanwhile, adds versatility at power forward in a context where the interior rotation combines several complementary profiles. His non-guaranteed contract creates, from a basketball standpoint, internal competition that may prove useful across an demanding ACB schedule.
Under the rim, Kur Kuath arrives with recent international activity. At the 2026 FIBA World Cup he represented South Sudan with roughly 5.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game across nine outings, numbers that reflect a profile built around contact play and paint protection.
Identity and strengths
iLERNA Lleida's identity at this stage of the project appears to rest on three pillars: roster continuity, interior depth and a perimeter group with several creators and outside shooters. Mixing domestic and imported playmakers offers tactical flexibility to shift styles depending on the opponent.
Paint depth, with Diagne, Ejim, Shurna, Perrin and Kuath, can be an asset in a season where physical wear and foul management matter. If the team carry the level shown in the Catalan preseason into the league, they will have a confidence base before the first whistle.
Risks
The main risks lie in limited accumulated ACB experience and in the lack of comparable data from the previous season in the canonical project base. A group with several players still adapting to the category can be inconsistent, especially during stretches with back-to-back road trips.
Having several point guards and shooting guards forces an early hierarchy in the backcourt rotation. Likewise, packing the roster with bigs requires clarity on minutes and defensive roles against elite ACB centres.
Expectations and forecast
From an editorial standpoint, iLERNA Lleida should aim to consolidate their place in the league and fight for results on the road in open games, rather than targeting a high table position in the opening weeks. There is not enough statistical basis to set a precise numeric target; a reasonable read points to a learning season with competitive games against direct rivals.
The ceiling will depend on how the imported core adapts, on defensive consistency and on turning preseason form into performance once the calendar tightens. In this scenario, beating the average win total of a recent promoted side would be a clear sign of progress.
Opening games
The league debut is set for 27 September, when iLERNA Lleida visit Valencia Basket. It is an immediate test against one of the teams with the highest perimeter and transition demands in the ACB. One week later, on 4 October, Lleida host Recoletas Salud San Pablo Burgos at the Palau d'Esports.
In the following weeks, the schedule includes trips to Monbus Obradoiro (11 October), Casademont Zaragoza (18 October) and UCAM Murcia (31 October), plus home games against Real Madrid (25 October), Kosner Baskonia (7 November) and Kids&Us Manresa (15 November). The opening run mixes demanding travel with home opportunities against rivals of different competitive profiles.
