Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv enter the 2026/27 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season with a reshaped roster and a clear target: climbing back into the upper half of the regular-season standings. The Israeli club arrive in September after a summer of movement that changes the core of the team and opens a different cycle from the previous campaign, with Lonnie Walker IV and Tamir Blatt no longer part of the project.
The starting point is a roster with a more European profile, keeping continuity in pieces such as John DiBartolomeo, Roman Sorkin and Jaylen Hoard while adding signings that raise the physical ceiling and EuroLeague experience. With no consolidated 2025/26 data available in the canonical record, this analysis relies on the current squad composition and the opening fixtures already on the calendar.
Roster changes
The summer produced a net loss of key contributors. Beyond Walker and Blatt — the latter to Hapoel Tel Aviv — the club did not retain figures such as Jeffrey Dowtin Jr., Clifford Omoruyi, Zachary Hankins, Tamir Gold, Marcio Santos or Uros Trifunovic. On the incoming side, Maccabi added Daniel Theis from AS Monaco Basket, brought back Yam Madar from Hapoel Tel Aviv, and signed Bonzie Colson and Armando Bacot Jr. from Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.
The frontcourt rotation includes Theis, Bacot, Jaylen Hoard, T.J. Leaf, Will Rayman and Roman Sorkin; on the perimeter, DiBartolomeo, Madar, Gabriel Lundberg, Jimmy Clark III, Amit Ebo, Gur Lavi, David Efianayi, Oshae Brissett and Bonzie Colson form a deep group on paper. Depth is one of the project's most obvious assets.
Among the summer additions that set the tone, Yam Madar's return stands out. The point guard brings scoring upside and playmaking, and at the 2026 FIBA World Cup he averaged 20.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists with Israel over five games — numbers that underline his weight at the start of the season.
Daniel Theis adds EuroLeague experience and a mobile center profile, useful in pick-and-roll and switching schemes. His move from Monaco addresses part of the physical role the team needed after summer departures.
John DiBartolomeo remains the natural reference for game management and competitive leadership. His continuity stabilises a locker room with many new faces and heavy responsibilities from day one.
Maccabi's 2026/27 profile points to a fast team capable of mixing transition and structured half-court play. Multiple point guards — DiBartolomeo, Madar, Lundberg, Clark — allow tempo changes; up front, mobility (Hoard, Colson, Brissett) and size (Theis, Bacot) create different tactical options depending on the opponent.
Identity and strengths
Roman Sorkin arrives off a strong run at the 2026 FIBA World Cup: 17.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game with Israel over five outings. That production strengthens the perimeter threat and the yellow-and-blue second scoring line.
At home, Nokia Arena remains a EuroLeague factor. Maccabi traditionally make their court count in key regular-season stretches, and that should hold again if the roster finds chemistry early.
Risks
The main question is integrating several new signings at key positions at the same time. Replacing Walker's scoring volume and Blatt's direction is not automatic, and the margin for error in the opening months may be narrow in an increasingly demanding EuroLeague.
There is also limited recent EuroLeague statistical reference for parts of the roster. Several players arrive from other leagues or with small samples at this level, making it harder to gauge real impact until the regular season starts.
Depth can become a management challenge too: spreading minutes and roles across so many viable profiles will require clear coaching choices to avoid overly fragmented rotations.
Expectations and reasonable forecast
From an editorial standpoint, Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv look like a play-in candidate and, in a favourable scenario, a team that can touch the direct playoff zone. On paper they do not profile as title contenders, but they can trouble any opponent in Tel Aviv and steal road wins if Madar, Theis and DiBartolomeo deliver expected levels.
The ceiling will depend on defensive consistency and three-point efficiency — two historically decisive variables for the club. If the interior protects the rim and the perimeter shoots at a competitive rate, a reasonable forecast places them in the upper half of the regular-season table. A slow start, however, could push Maccabi into a tighter fight for eighth place.
Opening schedule
Maccabi's EuroLeague 2026/27 campaign opens on 24 September in Villeurbanne against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (20:45 UTC) — a demanding road test that will serve as an immediate thermometer.
The early calendar includes home games against Besiktas Istanbul (30 September) and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (8 October), plus trips to Panathinaikos BC (2 October), Barça (13 October), Valencia Basket (15 October), Real Madrid (22 October) and Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (27 October). It is a dense stretch against varied profiles, well suited to measuring how quickly the project comes together.