Only five players remain from last season's roster. Five. Barcelona has changed head coach, sporting director, and eleven roster spots, doing so with a criterion its front office summed up in one phrase at the presentation: signed by profile, not by position. Athletic profile, fresh legs, and players eager to grow. Nothing like what was there before.
The Starting Point
The 2025-26 season ended with Barcelona ninth of twenty, with twenty-one wins and seventeen losses. Nine teams ahead and no postseason appearance, in an irregular campaign that ended with Xavi Pascual's departure to Dubai.
For a club that has won two EuroLeagues and been a finalist on four occasions this century, that position is not a bad year: it's a warning.
What's Leaving
The list of departures explains the magnitude of the change. Tomas Satoransky left for Hapoel, Nico Laprovittola for Joventut, Willy Hernangómez for Unicaja, Will Clyburn for Fenerbahce, and Youssoupha Fall to China. Jan Vesely retired. Juani Marcos signed with UCAM Murcia and Miles Norris with Bayern.
And the hardest blow came in August: Toko Shengelia paid around one million euros in release clause to leave for Dubai, where he reunited with Xavi Pascual. The captain and the coach, to the same destination.
What's Arriving
Eleven signings. Three profiles dominate the list.
In the backcourt, Justin Robinson—named best player of the Lliga Catalana—and Umoja Gibson bring pace and playmaking ability. On the perimeter come Tyrese Martin from Philadelphia, Stanley Umude, Justin Minaya, and Agustín Ubal, who returns after a breakout season at Manresa.
The frontcourt has been completely rebuilt: Josh Nebo from Olimpia Milano, Olek Balcerowski from Unicaja, Yoan Makoundou, Olivier Nkamhoua from Varese, and Tosan Evbuomwan from Charlotte.
There's a curious detail in that last group: Minaya and Evbuomwan faced each other last season in the G League Eastern Conference Finals and both are now making their European basketball debut with the same jersey.
Those Who Stay
Five names: Juan Núñez, Darío Brizuela, Kevin Punter, and Joel Parra, the latter renewed once again. Four players to sustain the identity of an entire locker room.
The Keys
The Assembly. It's the word that defines the season. Eleven new players must understand each other simultaneously in Europe's most demanding competition, and preseason has already shown both extremes: the team won the Lliga Catalana, but needed to be down thirty minutes against Ilerna Lleida to react in the final.
Sekulic's System. Fast possessions, transition offense, and total freedom from three-point range. It was evident from the first preseason game in Encamp and worked against Manresa, a rival that plays the same way. It remains to be seen if it holds up against EuroLeague defenses.
The Absence of a Clear Reference. Punter is the player with the most hierarchy on the roster and he's 33 years old. Behind him there's no star who can decide games in April. It's a team of many good players, and that profile usually performs well in the regular season and falls short after.
Health. Brizuela was injured in the Lliga Catalana final with 51 seconds left in the third quarter and the club has yet to detail the extent. In a roster with only five holdovers, losing one of them in September weighs more than usual.
The Forecast
Barcelona should return to the postseason, which is the minimum required after such an investment. But it's a project to build, not to finish, and it's reasonable to expect an irregular start.
The standard is set by the club's own history: no one at the Palau will consider staying in the play-in a success. And this roster, as it stands today, doesn't look like a Final Four team.
Full Roster
Point Guards and Shooting Guards: Umoja Gibson (1.85m), Justin Robinson (1.85m), Darío Brizuela (1.88m), Juan Núñez (1.93m), Kevin Punter (1.93m), Justin Minaya (1.96m), Stanley Umude (1.98m), Agustín Ubal (1.98m), Tyrese Martin (1.98m)
Small Forwards: Joel Parra (2.02m), Olivier Nkamhoua (2.03m), Tosan Evbuomwan (2.03m)
Power Forwards and Centers: Josh Nebo (2.06m), Yoan Makoundou (2.07m), Olek Balcerowski (2.15m)