Scheduing an exhibition match: Net team set to face Israeli opposition during preseason
The Brooklyn Nets have made a significant move in the world of basketball, as they drafted two Israeli players, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf, in the 2025 NBA draft. This marks a historic achievement, as it's the first time that Jewish players have ever been picked by one team in the same round, and the Nets will now have the second-most Israeli players in the league, after Sacramento's Jordan Farmar and Omri Casspi in 2016.
The Nets will host Hapoel Jerusalem for the 2025 NBA preseason opener on October 4 at Barclays Center, and both Saraf and Wolf are expected to play against their home country's team. This preseason game may be different from the previous one between the Nets and Hapoel Jerusalem, but the exact nature of the differences is not specified.
The Nets have a history of hosting Israeli teams, as they previously hosted Maccabi Ra'anana for an exhibition game in the 2023-24 preseason, although the location and date of the previous game are not provided.
While Saraf and Wolf's NBA careers contribute symbolically to Israel's international cultural representation, their impact on the two-state solution or peace efforts amid the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza is not established or supported by current information. The news about the drafting of Saraf and Wolf comes amidst the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza in response to Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks.
In a separate development, the Nets will not be playing at Barclays Center for the preseason, as they will be facing the Suns in two preseason games in Macao on Oct. 10 and 12. This marks the NBA's return to China for the first time since 2019. The exact nature of what makes this game different from the previous one between the Nets and the Suns is not specified.
The Nets selected Ben Saraf with the 26th pick in the June draft, and the news about the drafting of Saraf and Wolf was first reported by Basketball News Australia. The team will also have more than two Israelis on their team for the upcoming season, but the identities of the other players have not been disclosed.
[1] Basketball News Australia
[2] ESPN
[3] The Jerusalem Post
[4] The Times of Israel
[5] The Forward
