Maccabi Tel Aviv has officially announced the signing of Armando Bacot Jr. for the next two seasons. The 26-year-old American center, standing 2.08 meters tall, joins from Fenerbahce, where he completed his first EuroLeague experience.
Bacot did not play a major role with the Turkish club, but he was part of a winning roster. With Fenerbahce, he won the Turkish League, the Cup, and the Super Cup, sharing the locker room with Bonzie Colson, with whom he will reunite now at Maccabi.
His EuroLeague numbers were modest: 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in roughly ten minutes per game. In the Turkish league, he had more playing time, averaging 6.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in 17.5 minutes. Maccabi is not signing proven immediate production in Europe, but rather a big man they view as having room to grow.
That's how Oded Kattash explained it, highlighting his offensive talent, his basketball intelligence, and the sense that he can still develop. For Bacot, the opportunity is clear: he arrives at a historic club on a two-year contract and in a context where he can try to earn more playing time than he had at Fenerbahce.
Before making the jump to Europe, Bacot spent five seasons at North Carolina and began his professional career in the G League with Memphis Hustle, where he did post impressive numbers: 16.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 50 games.
Maccabi is betting on a strong center with a solid rebounding track record and still room to develop in Europe. He doesn't come off dominating the EuroLeague, but rather from a first season of adjustment with a big club. Now he'll have to prove whether he can turn that potential into real playing time.