In a landmark moment for Israeli sports, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf were selected back-to-back by the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, making history as the first two Israeli players ever to join the same NBA team.
Saraf, a 19-year-old, 6 ft. 6 in. point and shooting guard who is still playing for German club Ratiopharm Ulm, was picked 26th overall by new head coach Jordi Fernandez’s rebuilding squad.
Immediately thereafter, with the 27th pick, Brooklyn selected American-Israeli Wolf, a 21-year-old, 7 ft. power forward/center. Both players signed four-year contracts, with the first two years guaranteed.
The Nets, poised for a fresh start, are going all-in on a youthful rebuild. Alongside Saraf and Wolf, the franchise drafted three additional players in the first round: Russian small forward/point guard Egor Demin (eighth), French point guard Nolan Traoré (19th) and American shooting guard/small forward Drake Powell (22nd). Veteran contributors D’Angelo Russell and Cam Thomas are expected to become free agents, accelerating the team’s transition.
Saraf and Wolf now join Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (drafted by the Washington Wizards in 2020) as active Israelis in the NBA. This is the first time three Israeli players will compete simultaneously in the league.
Brooklyn, home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the US, is likely to provide the two newcomers with a sense of belonging. A future home game between Sharaf and Wolf and Avdija at the Barclays Center could attract large crowds of Israelis and American Jews eager to witness this piece of sports history.
Wolf played the 2024–25 college season at the University of Michigan after two years at Yale. Saraf previously played for Elitzur Netanya and Ironi Kiryat Ata before joining Ulm this season, where he led the team to the German league finals, currently tied 2–2 with Bayern Munich. He also starred in the EuroCup.
As anticipated, the Dallas Mavericks chose generational talent Cooper Flagg, 18, with the No. 1 pick, making him the second-youngest player ever to be drafted first overall.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
