The royal personalities had priority. Especially since it became apparent early on that Andrea Trinchieri would no longer be the coach of the Munich basketball team after the season: three years is his usual length of stay at a club, he once said at the beginning of his tenure at FC Bayern, so those responsible, who are known to monitor their staff attentively, were able to seek a successor for the Italian at an early stage.
It was thanks to this early compulsion to act that prominent trainer FC Bayern was able to fish as a successor: In the Spaniard Pablo Laso, the former coach of the royal team, who had collected the highest European merits with Real Madrid, came – to stay in the picture – with royal splendor. With and around the 55-year-old, the Munich team is now putting together a team that should clearly surpass the earnings of the past three seasons, which remained manageable with two cup wins.
Above all, the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) has priority. Although this had been communicated in the same way in the past three years, one had to get the impression that Trinchieri was focusing on the Euroleague. That brought Bayern two consecutive playoff appearances, but nothing for the letterhead – their last national title dates back to 2019.
Because of the 6+6 rule, which requires an equal number of German and foreign players in the BBL (in contrast to the Euroleague), the strong German faction in the squad has remained largely unaffected. Only Paul Zipser was handed over to Heidelberg, where he should gather match practice, find his old strength and ideally return, which FC Bayern has secured by option. National players Andreas Obst, Niels Giffey, Isaac Bonga and Nick Weiler-Babb remain. They are in the provisional squad of 18 for the World Cup in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines (25 August to 10 September) and have a good chance of still being part of the World Cup squad, which has been reduced to twelve players. In Niklas Wimberg and Elias Harris there are still two former internationals in the team, and Nelson Weidemann, who is returning from Chemnitz after a loan, recently made his national debut.
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An Argentinian in Munich: National player Leandro Bolmaro (here against Puerto Rico) will dribble for Munich in the future.
(Photo: Lucio Tavora/Xinhua/Imago)
The big changes are in the small positions. In Ognjen Jaramaz (to Partisan Belgrade), Corey Walden (Galatasaray Istanbul), Cassius Winston (Tofus Bursa/Turkey) and Zan Mark Sisko (retired at the end of 2022, now in Breogan/Spain), the Munich team have replaced almost the entire playmaker guard – and announced promising successors in the past few days: Argentinian international Leandro Bolmaro has signed for two years. The 22-year-old comes from the Spanish first division club Tenerife and has made 49 NBA appearances for Minnesota and Utah from previous seasons. French international Sylvain Francisco, who, unlike his future team-mates, has already made it into his country’s final squad of 12 at the World Cup, will stay for two seasons. The 25-year-old joins from Peristeri, third in the Greek championship. The cup winner presented the youngest and most interesting addition on Friday: Carsen Edwards is moving to the Isar with the recommendation of 72 NBA appearances for Detroit and Boston. The 25-year-old has also gained experience in the Euroleague. Last season, the US guard played for Turkish title contenders Fenerbahce Istanbul. With that, the Bavarians have declared their efforts for the backcourt to be over.
According to reports, an old acquaintance will soon be under the basket: Center Devin Booker is about to return to Munich
There is still work to be done under the basket, however, as Zylan Cheatham has left for the New Zealand Breakers and Othello Hunter, who recently suffered from a herniated disc and whose contract has expired, is also unlikely to return. Augustine Rubit will stay, but will have to pause for another six months because of his Achilles tendon injury. But an old acquaintance is on the way: According to reports, Munich agrees with Devin Booker, who, like playmaker Edwards, will also come from Fenerbahce. The 32-year-old has already been active for Bayern for three seasons (2016 to 2019) and should bring power under the basket alongside Freddie Gillespie. The 2.16 meter tall Croatian Danko Brankovic is also new. The 23-year-old was loaned to the Belgrade training club KK Mega Basket and is now set to prove himself in the Bundesliga.
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Successful coach Pablo Laso should first of all get the German championship title.
(Photo: Christian Kunz/dpa)
Nationally, Munich should be the measure of all things, since the main competitors Ulm, Berlin and Bonn have lost their most important forces. In the future, Alba will have to do without the key players Maodo Lo, Jaleen Smith (Bologna) and Luke Sikma (to Olympiacos Piraeus), Bonn will lose other regular players to Paris alongside playmaker TJ Shorts and coach Tuomas Iisalo. As expected, champions Ulm were unable to keep the successful Brazilian duo of playmaker Yago dos Santos and center Bruno Caboclo.
If Munich are the clear favorites in the BBL, they remain outsiders in the European premier class. Because despite all the prophecies of doom and crises, the top continental clubs continue to invest enormous sums. According to SZ information, Maodo Lo will receive 1.3 million euros for two years in Milan. Barcelona have lured Spanish European champion Willy Hernangomez out of the NBA (New Orleans), Monaco have just announced the signing of four-time NBA All-Stars Kemba Walker from the Dallas Mavericks. It is almost adventurous how the top European clubs are strengthening and the top players are being pushed back and forth. Money seems to play a secondary role. Participation in the finals will hardly be feasible for the two German representatives Munich and Berlin as things stand. Both ended up last year under also running.
Nevertheless, it will also be important for the new FC Bayern coach to manage the balancing act between the Bundesliga and the Euroleague in the best possible way, with up to three games a week. The royal personalities must find the royal road.
