Yam Madar’s move from Hapoel Tel Aviv to Maccabi Tel Aviv was one of the biggest transfers of the EuroLeague offseason, and his agent Misko Raznatovic has now revealed how the deal unfolded behind the scenes.
Yam Madar, who had spent the previous season with Hapoel Tel Aviv, ultimately made the direct move across town to Maccabi Tel Aviv, while Tamir Blatt went in the opposite direction, joining Hapoel on a temporary basis. With Misko Raznatovic representing both players, the Serbian agent found himself at the center of one of the most intriguing transfer stories in Israeli basketball.
In an interview with Sport5, Raznatovic explained when Maccabi first became involved in the situation and how the negotiations developed.
A NEW AND IMPROVED MACCABI TEL AVIV!? 👀🔥
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) August 9, 2026
With all their new signings and a roster that now looks DEEP, Maccabi have quietly put together a team that looks really strong on paper:
🟡 Yam Madar
🟡 Keaton Wallace
🟡 Oshae Brissett
🟡 Bonzie Colson
🟡 Daniel Theis
🔵 Bench:… pic.twitter.com/qu90ru6qTb
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s interest in Yam Madar started before his Hapoel exit
According to Misko Raznatovic, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s interest in Madar predated the player’s decision to leave Hapoel Tel Aviv, while the club had no involvement in that decision.
“I don’t remember, it was a long time ago. It happened before the decision to opt out of his contract with Hapoel, and Maccabi had nothing to do with that decision,” Raznatovic said.
The agent explained that Hapoel Tel Aviv had also held discussions with Madar throughout the season regarding his future, but the club ultimately decided against extending his contract at that stage.
“There were also many talks with Hapoel Tel Aviv during the season, but in the end, they did not want to sign a contract extension – probably because Madar had a less significant role at that stage,” Raznatovic explained.
The situation changed during the offseason, however, as Madar’s performances in the playoffs prompted Hapoel to return to the negotiating table.
“They left everything for the summer, and the situation changed during the offseason. In the playoffs, they started aggressive negotiations to extend his contract, which made sense at the time.”
Misko Raznatovic: Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi knew my plans within minutes
Representing both Madar and Blatt meant that Raznatovic was directly involved in negotiations with the two clubs during an unusually complicated offseason.
Asked who handled the talks with Maccabi Tel Aviv, the veteran agent described the situation as a familiar one from his long career, but admitted that what happened in Israel was particularly unusual.
“That’s the million-dollar question. I’ve been in this business for 31 years, and I often encounter situations where Crvena Zvezda and Partizan are fighting for the same player, Fenerbahce and Anadolu Efes, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos – it also happened in 2010 with Spanoulis. I’m used to these kinds of dramatic situations.”
However, Raznatovic said the rivalry between Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Tel Aviv took the situation to another level.
“But what happened in Israel was quite remarkable and made me laugh a lot. If I spoke with Hapoel, I would receive a phone call from Maccabi 10 or 15 minutes later, and they would ask me what I was planning. The same thing happened when I spoke with Maccabi.”
According to the agent, both clubs appeared to know what he had discussed with their rival almost immediately.
“Somehow, both teams knew what I was thinking or planning just 10 minutes after I spoke with the other team. Once I realized this after a few weeks, I tried not to share information because I didn’t want everything to get out. I don’t know how it happened, but it was something unique in European basketball.”
