While veteran know-how may be a prized commodity in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, the only way to get that is to start competing at a young age. This season there will be no shortage of talents aged 25 under. Some of them have changed teams, while many are awaiting their EuroLeague debuts. Let's check out 10 of the best signings of young players this summer.
Davide Alviti, AX Armani Exchange Milan
Blue-collar players are always needed on championship-level teams and this is why AX Armani Exchange Milan signed power forward Davide Alviti, who comes off a breakout season with Allianz Trieste. Alviti is a modern forward who can pull the trigger from downtown (44.2% 3FG last season, taking 4.0 shots per game), help with steals and deflections in the passing lanes and also rebound the ball. He worked his way up from the lower divisions in Italy to become a EuroLeague player and he can be expected to leave it all on the court.
Malte Delow, ALBA Berlin
Physically, he looks like Bogdan Bogdanovic. Malte Delow hopes to follow in those footsteps and become a EuroLeague superstar. At age 20, Delow took part in 23 EuroLeague games last season (1.6 ppg. in 8.3 mpg.) and helped ALBA win its second consecutive German League title. He is aggressive on defense and reads the passing lanes to get many steals. If Delow can feed off his defensive intensity and contribute more on offense, it will be only a matter of time until he becomes a key player in ALBA's rotation.
Jehyve Floyd, Panathinaikos OPAP Athens
Panathinaikos OPAP Athens needed a rim protector and found one in Jehyve Floyd, who comes off a strong season with Hapoel Galil Gilboa. Floyd averaged 11.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 36 Israeli League games last season. He led that competition in two-point shooting percentage (74.2%). He was the 2019-20 Greek League's top shot-blocker (2.2 bpg.) while playing for Larissa. His athleticism, aggressiveness and great timing allow him to change games on defense, which is always a plus.
Rokas Jokubaitis, FC Barcelona
Like all young Lithuanian point guards, Rokas Jokubaitis grew up having Sarunas Jasikevicius as one of his idols. Jokubaitis now has the chance to play for 'Saras' again. He is a talented combo-guard with great determination and strong driving skills. Last season, Jokubaitis was second in the EuroLeague Rising Star voting behind only Usman Garuba of Real Madrid. After a strong season with Zalgiris Kaunas, he has joined a EuroLeague contender and is in the right environment to become a top-class player.
Eleftherios Mantzoukas, Panathinaikos OPAP Athens
Eleftherios Mantzoukas joined Panathinaikos OPAP Athens midway through last season but did not play for the Greens in the EuroLeague. He showcased his shooting skills in the 7DAYS EuroCup, however, with Promitheas Patras. Mantzoukas averaged 6.7 points on 60.0% three-point shooting in 7 EuroCup games with Promitheas, including 24 points on 6-of-6 three-point shooting on the road against Herbalife Gran Canaria. Mantzoukas, a 2.07-meter swingman, just turned 18 and is ready for the next step in his career.
Elie Okobo, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne
Ekie Okobo may be one of the best European point guards who never played in the EuroLeague. That is about to change. A scoring guard with unlimited shooting range, Okobo started his career in his native France and also played in the NBA and the G League before joining LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. At age 23, he is a young veteran in the right environment to grow as a player, with a good team around him and a club president, Tony Parker, who knows what it takes to be a successful playmaker.
Tadas Sedekerskis, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz
Tadas Sedekerskis earned a spot in Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz's starting lineup last season and was promptly rewarded with a three-year contract extension over the summer. He plays hard, is fearless attacking the basket, has good shooting range and is a plus defender. That package at age 23 should be exciting for Baskonia fans.
Roman Sorkin, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv
Roman Sorkin comes off a strong season with Maccabi Haifa and at age 24 has already had a pretty interesting career. Sorkin helped the University of Oregon reach the NCAA Tournament Final Four in 2017 and has also been a member of the Israeli national team. Last season, he averaged 13.4 points and 7.2 rebounds in 29 Israeli League games. After three years in Haifa in which he didn't stop growing as a player, Sorkin is ready for bigger challenges and is fully aware of what Maccabi means in continental basketball.
Victor Wembanyama, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne
Simply put, Victor Wembanyama is a unicorn, a player with an unprecedented combination of size, ballhandling ability, wingspan, quickness and shooting range. Defensively, Wembanyama is on his way to becoming an elite rim protector. On offense, he can score in many ways - three-pointers, turnaround jumpers, post moves, shots off the dribble - you name it. Wembanyama, a 2.20-meter all-around player, joins LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne at age 17 in what already is a giant step in his career - testing his skills in the EuroLeague.
Yovel Zoosman, ALBA Berlin
A young veteran at age 23, Yovel Zoosman arrives in a perfect environment for him, as ALBA Berlin has earned a reputation for giving quality playing time to up-and-coming players. Zoosman averaged 2.6 points and 1.5 rebounds in 11 EuroLeague games last season, seeing limited playing time. Three years ago, however, he helped Israel win a gold medal at the 2018 U20 European Championships was the tournament MVP. The long-armed Zoosman knows the EuroLeague inside out and his impact should be immediate.