In a landmark moment for Israeli sports, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf were selected back-to-back by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2025 NBA Draft, making history as the first two Israeli players ever to join the same NBA team.
Saraf, who is still playing for German club Ratiopharm Ulm, was picked 26th overall by new head coach Jordi Fernandez's rebuilding squad. Immediately after, with the 27th pick, Brooklyn selected Wolf. 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: Yegor Demin (8th), Nolan Traore (19th), and 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 Washington Wizards forward Deni Avdija 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, 19, 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 with the No. 1 pick, making him the second-youngest player ever to be drafted first overall. The San Antonio Spurs, who produced the last two Rookie of the Year winners, Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, selected Dillon Harper.
Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers, where Avdija now plays, drafted Cedric Coward at No. 11 but immediately traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies for the 16th pick, using it to take Chinese prospect Hansen Yang, the first player ever drafted without attending the traditional "green room" event.
One of the night's other notable trades saw Mark Williams, previously involved in a failed trade with the Los Angeles Lakers due to alleged medical concerns, sent to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for the 29th pick and a future first-rounder in 2029.
