A Year After Leaving, Bango Back on Zaragoza's Radar

Casademont Zaragoza is considering bringing back Jilson Bango. According to journalist Olga Lorente, the Aragonese club is evaluating the return of the Angolan center, an operation that was already discussed in June when several ACB teams were monitoring his injury recovery. The information has not been confirmed by the club and should be taken as a move under study.

The detail that makes it possible: the right of first refusal

The key to the matter is administrative, and the club worked on it long ago. Zaragoza included Bango on the ACB's right of first refusal list, which means they retain their rights to the player in Spanish competition. In practice, any other league club that wants to sign him must present their offer through the ACB, and Casademont would have the option to match it to keep the player.

It was a forward-thinking move. Bango left the club in February 2025 heading to Fenerbahce after requesting his departure to accept, in the club's own words, an economic offer that was unreachable for the Aragonese entity. Zaragoza closed the transfer once their conditions were met and, months later, made sure that if the Angolan ever returned to Spain, he would have to go through their door.

A year and a half of major developments

What has happened since then explains why this is news. At Zaragoza, Bango signed a first half-season of high level: 13.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 16.1 rating in 19 Liga Endesa games, plus 14.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in nine FIBA Europe Cup matches. That performance was what prompted the Turkish call.

And in Istanbul came the title. Bango won the EuroLeague championship with Fenerbahce in 2025, the same final in which Monaco fell. His role was secondary, but the ring counts.

The question mark is physical condition. The 27-year-old, 2.08-meter interior comes from an injury whose evolution several ACB clubs have been monitoring for months, and that is exactly why a player of his profile is available. Zaragoza knows him firsthand, knows what he brings when healthy—power, rebounding dominance, blocks and verticality—and has the competitive advantage of the right of first refusal. The doubt is whether the body will cooperate.

Fit within the roster

If the return materializes, he would arrive at an almost entirely new team. Casademont has rebuilt its roster this summer with seven signings and only four continuities, with Laurynas Birutis and Gabriel Olaseni as interior references, and just started preseason with a victory against iLerna Lleida, in a game where the team allowed 102 points. An interior with Bango's defensive capacity would fit precisely that diagnosis.