Israeli Euroleague club Maccabi Tel Aviv announced on Wednesday the signing of former NBA power forward/center Wenyen Gabriel on a one-season contract with an extension option for another season.

The 27-year-old South Sudanese-American played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats, and between 2018 and March 2024 played 164 NBA games in seven teams - Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Memphis Grizzlies.

He averaged 4.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks in 150 NBA regular season games, along with 2.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks in 14 NBA playoff games with Portland and the Lakers.

In recent months he has been playing in the Vaqueros de Bayamon of Puerto Rico's National Superior Basketball League.

Gabriel also played with the South Sudan national team in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, hosted by the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia, where he was the leading blocker of the tournament, with 13 blocks in five games.

South Sudan finished in 17th place, and first among the African teams, securing a spot in the 2024 Olympic Games that will begin later this month in Paris.

"I'm super excited and thankful to join the historical Maccabi organization," Gabriel said. "I can't wait to bring my passion to Tel Aviv and the Euroleague and meet the famous fan base."

Maccabi head coach Oded Kattash added, "Gabriel is a position-5 player who can also play away from the paint, knows how to finish near the rim, and has a defensive presence."

Meanwhile, Maccabi guard Wade Baldwin signed a two-year contract with the Turkish champion Fenerbahce, as the two clubs announced on Wednesday.

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