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jun 05 2026This week, journalist Javier Maestro reported the possible arrival of the Spanish center to the Vitoria-based club through the Encestando website
According to the information reported, after Willy Hernangómez and Barcelona failed to reach an agreement to extend his stay at the Catalan club, the center would be exploring options, with negotiations "advanced" with Baskonia. For now, nothing is official and neither the Basque club nor Barcelona have commented on the matter. Rumors have also emerged positioning him with the Vaqueros de Bayamón team from Puerto Rico.
With rumors circulating, we at Piratas del Basket have decided to analyze the impact of the player's possible arrival if these rumors are confirmed. These rumors were not well-received by Baskonia fans on social media. While it is fair to say that Willy Hernangómez has not met initial expectations since arriving at Barcelona and has disappointed many fans, not everything is negative. The center brings a high level of offensive play thanks to his innate talent near the basket, and would also add significant Spanish talent to a roster already short on interior players—a shortage that would worsen if the rumors of Mamadi Diakité's departure to Dubai are confirmed. The American center's exit would also free up between 400,000 and 600,000 euros from Baskonia's budget, covered by his release clause.
But we must also be realistic. The criticism and poor reception on social media have merit. The Spanish center has shown a very poor level during his time at the Catalan club, especially considering the high salary he earns (1.87 million euros). Over three seasons, Hernangómez has averaged the following numbers: 9.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 1.1 turnovers in 17.2 minutes per game in the ACB League. In the EuroLeague, his numbers have been even lower: 8.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 1.2 turnovers in 15.2 minutes per game on average.
Adding to this poor performance are the center's defensive shortcomings. In European basketball, these weaknesses have been exposed significantly, especially in pick-and-roll defense, reading and defending the pick & roll, lateral movement, and above all, matchups against faster and shorter players. This season, when asked about criticism of his defense, the player simply said the following: "Pick & roll defense? I have a lot to improve, but it's not just me and my partner. You need help, a scheme, structures to defend as a team. Why am I a good defender with the national team? Because we all have things clear. People sacrifice themselves. If you're the point guard, for example, you know I'm going to be there for you, to help you, stop your man, but I know I'm going to need help too. It's a matter of team trust".
With these statements, the center suggested he did have aspects to improve, but that the blame wasn't entirely his. In this way, he hinted that responsibility wasn't solely individual, but also collective. During this return to Spain, the player also hasn't had good relationships with his coaches (none of the three different ones he's had) and, in some cases, made quite controversial comments. "Don't bug me, you've got two more news broadcasts left," Hernangómez told Roberto Grimau after a home loss to Monaco. When asked about this in an interview on the program "La Bombilla" with Miguel Sánchez, better known as Pablo Lolaso, the center claimed he learned to "stay quieter" and explained that "this year things that were much worse haven't leaked out".
This dynamic of pointing fingers at his coaches or criticizing his teammates doesn't seem ideal for fitting into the schemes and philosophy of Paolo Galbiati, who will continue as Baskonia's head coach next season.
On the other hand, the center also wouldn't fit well into Baskonia's current defensive system. This season we've seen how Galbiati's defensive system has focused precisely on a fast-paced model in which mobility and the interior player's ability to make defensive switches are key. The Italian coach has taken advantage of interior players like Diakité, with great mobility despite his height and intimidation factor, to generate defensive advantages. The Italian coach has taken advantage of interior players like Diakité, with great mobility despite his height and intimidation factor, to generate defensive advantages, within a system designed to stop fast breaks and protect against elite shooters through intense individual defense on the perimeter and zonal variants like the 1-3-1.
Another heavily criticized aspect has been the financial side, where it's understood that Hernangómez would accept a salary reduction compared to what he's earning this season; however, perhaps not significant enough to make his signing a positive one for Baskonia. Recall that this season Markus Howard, the highest-paid player on the roster, has barely played in the final stretch and is not being counted on for the playoffs, precisely because of his defensive issues.
In this way, the criticism and social media reactions are confirmed regarding a signing that, despite the positional and nationality needs, is not the answer Baskonia should be focusing on.
