Not Everyone is Fleeing ASVEL: Zvezda Loses Its Center!

While Silvan Francisco, Daniel Theis, Nick Weiler-Babb, and Armoni Brooks have all departed, Joel Bolomboy has not. The American center, who also holds a Russian passport, has concluded his three-year stint with Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet and will now play for ASVEL for the next two seasons, as announced by the Villeurbanne club.

For days, there was speculation that Bolomboy would join the legion of players who initially agreed to terms with ASVEL but then, at the last minute (due to new financial issues plaguing the French club), fled without looking back. However, the 32-year-old center ultimately decided to be part of the ambitious project led by Tony Parker, who is the driving force behind ASVEL, from owner to head coach.

It's worth remembering that Bolomboy had a largely successful run with Crvena Zvezda over the past three years, but a significant portion of last season was marred by a serious injury. He struggled to return to his previous form and play at the level he exhibited before his layoff, making it somewhat expected that Zvezda would release him this summer. This was especially true given their current center rotation includes Ebuka Izundu, Jonathan Motley, and Vojin Medarević.

Regarding ASVEL, Bolomboy was initially envisioned as a backup center. However, with Daniel Theis signing for Maccabi Tel Aviv, the former Russian international might now take on the role of the primary five. This will depend on whether ASVEL manages to persuade another center to sign.

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