By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
It was rumored for days, it was denied, but finally it proved to be true. Maccabi Tel Aviv cut the contract of Pops Mensha-Bonsu. The player was injured in his knee during the London’s Olympics, where he played as a member of the host team. Ηe still hasn’t recovered from his arthroscopic surgery and that was the reason for the decision of the Israeli team.
According to media reports from Israel, Mensah-Bosnu could miss at least the first month of the season and Maccabi didn’t have the luxury to wait for him. The question now is who is going to replace him in coach David Blatt’s plans, with the team targeting players from the NBA market.
Maccabi has one more thorn to deal with. FIBA ruled that guard Yogev Ohayon is bound by contract with the team. However, he wants to play for the Russian club Lokomotiv Kuban and the bridges between him and Maccabi are burned. At this point it’s seems unlikely for him to return to the team’s roster, but one can wonder if Maccabi will keep him a whole season off the court and pay him without using him.