Jewish NBA Players in 2026-27: Full List
Three players who are widely reported as Jewish are on NBA rosters as of October 2026: Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf of the Brooklyn Nets. A fourth, Lajae Jones, was drafted 54th by the Golden State Warriors in June 2026 but was not on an NBA roster list when we checked on 9 October. Some Jewish news outlets also count Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings, whose conversion has been reported but not confirmed by him.
This page only lists a player when a reliable published source, or the player himself, has said so. We never infer anyone’s religion or background from a name.
Jewish NBA players at a glance
| On NBA rosters, October 2026 | 3: Deni Avdija, Danny Wolf, Ben Saraf |
|---|---|
| Drafted in 2026 | Lajae Jones (pick 54, Golden State) |
| Reported, not confirmed | Domantas Sabonis |
| First Israeli in the NBA | Omri Casspi (2009) |
| First Israeli NBA All-Star | Deni Avdija (2026) |
| Tallest | Danny Wolf, a center listed at 6’11” to 7’0″ |
| Last checked | 9 October 2026 |
Jewish players in the NBA in 2026-27
| Player | Team | Position | Height | What the sources say |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deni Avdija | Portland Trail Blazers | Forward | 6’8″ | Israeli. Named an All-Star in February 2026, the first Israeli to earn the honor (NBA.com). |
| Danny Wolf | Brooklyn Nets | Center | 6’11” | Born in Illinois; took Israeli citizenship in 2023 to play for Israel’s under-20 team. Drafted 27th in 2025. He has spoken about being raised Jewish (The Forward). |
| Ben Saraf | Brooklyn Nets | Guard | 6’6″ | Israeli; both parents played professionally in Israel. Drafted 26th in 2025 (Times of Israel). |
Teams, positions and heights are from RealGM’s NBA player list on 9 October 2026. The Forward lists Wolf at 7’0″.
On 16 March 2026 the three met in the same game, a 114-95 Portland win in Brooklyn. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency called it the first NBA game to feature three Jewish players who are all Israeli citizens.
Jewish NBA players in 2026-27, to scale
The three on NBA rosters this season, next to the average NBA player.
Show the data behind this chart
Person
Height
Centimeters
Avg US man
5'8.9"
175 cm
Ben Saraf
6'6"
198 cm
Avg NBA player
6'6.6"
200 cm
Deni Avdija
6'8"
203 cm
Danny Wolf
6'11"-7'0"
212 cm
Drafted in 2026: Lajae Jones
The Golden State Warriors took Lajae Jones, a 6’7″ wing, with the 54th pick of the 2026 draft. He was born and raised in Florida, his mother was born in Haifa, and he told J. The Jewish News of Northern California: “I was raised Jewish, and I’m going to stick by it.” He does not appear on RealGM’s NBA roster list as of 9 October 2026, so we do not count him as an active NBA player yet.
Reported but not confirmed: Domantas Sabonis
Domantas Sabonis, the Sacramento Kings big man, is included in some lists. In 2023 his wife said he was in the process of converting to Judaism. He has not spoken about it publicly, and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency noted in March 2026 that it was unconfirmed whether the conversion was completed. We list him here and not in the table above.
Israeli players in the NBA
Israel has become the main pipeline. Avdija and Saraf grew up in Israel, Wolf holds Israeli citizenship, and a fourth player with Israeli roots joined the league in 2026: Emanuel Sharp, a guard born in Israel, was drafted 45th by the Sacramento Kings (The Jewish Chronicle). Published reports describe Sharp as Israeli-American and do not discuss his religion, so he is listed as an Israeli player only.
For the full list of players from Israel, past and present, see our guide to NBA players from Israel.
Omri Casspi, the first Israeli in the NBA, season by season
Points per game through 2017-18, as in the table below. 2016-17 combines his three teams.
Show the data behind this chart
Season
Points per game
2009-10
10.3
2010-11
8.6
2011-12
7.1
2012-13
4
2013-14
6.9
2014-15
8.9
2015-16
11.8
2016-17
5.2
2017-18
5.7
Jewish NBA players in history
- Dolph Schayes: a star of the league’s first decades with the Syracuse Nationals, and a Hall of Famer.
- Red Holzman: played in the early NBA before coaching the New York Knicks to two championships.
- Omri Casspi: drafted 23rd by Sacramento in 2009, he became the first Israeli to play in the NBA.
- Gal Mekel: the second Israeli in the league, with Dallas and New Orleans from 2013 to 2014.
- Jordan Farmar: a guard who won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Two more names come up often. Amari Bailey, whose agent told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in 2023 that he identifies as Jewish, is not on an NBA roster in October 2026. Ryan Turell, the first Orthodox Jewish player selected in the G League draft (2022), now plays professionally in Israel.
Player profiles from our archive
This section was first published in 2019. Teams and career details in it are as of that time; the sections above show where things stand in October 2026.
Omri Casspi
Casspi, who is both Israeli and Jewish, was surprisingly drafted early with the 23rd overall in the 2009 NBA draft by the hapless Sacramento Kings. Though other Israelis had indeed been drafted in the past, Casspi was the first to crack the 1st round, and was actually expected to contribute, and ended up being the first Israeli to play in the NBA.
Casspi was then traded in 2011 to the Cavs. He then signed with the Rockets in 2013, then traded to the Pelicans in 2014, then waived. Unsurprisingly, Casspi came back home to the Kings (or perhaps it was surprising, since Casspi seems to be the only NBA player to enjoy playing for the pathetic Sacramento Kings), and he re-upped with them in 2014.
In terms of effectiveness, Casspi has definitely made strides as a rotation player. This past season he put up 11 ppg with 40% from 3. With today’s NBA gravitating toward 3 and D guys who can run, Casspi has suddenly become valuable. Check out his career stats:
| Per Game | |||||||||||||||||
| Year | Team | G | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TOPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | |||||
| 09-10 | Sac | 77 | 25.1 | 10.3 | 4.5 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.3 | .446 | .369 | .672 | |||||
| 10-11 | Sac | 71 | 24.0 | 8.6 | 4.3 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 1.0 | .412 | .372 | .673 | |||||
| 11-12 | Cle | 65 | 20.6 | 7.1 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.0 | .403 | .315 | .685 | |||||
| 12-13 | Cle | 43 | 11.7 | 4.0 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.5 | .394 | .329 | .537 | |||||
| 13-14 | Hou | 71 | 18.1 | 6.9 | 3.7 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.0 | .422 | .347 | .680 | |||||
| 14-15 | Sac | 67 | 21.1 | 8.9 | 3.9 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1.3 | .489 | .402 | .733 | |||||
| 15-16 | Sac | 69 | 27.2 | 11.8 | 5.9 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 1.4 | .481 | .409 | .648 | |||||
| 16-17 | Sac | 22 | 18.0 | 5.9 | 4.1 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.8 | .453 | .379 | .571 | |||||
| 16-17 | NO | 1 | 24.0 | 12.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | .556 | .500 | – | |||||
| 16-17 | Min | 13 | 17.1 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.8 | .500 | .200 | .625 | |||||
| 16-17 | Total | 36 | 17.9 | 5.2 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.8 | .470 | .349 | .586 | |||||
| 17-18 | GS | 53 | 14.0 | 5.7 | 3.8 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.7 | .580 | .455 | .725 | |||||
| Career | 552 | 20.7 | 8.0 | 4.1 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.0 | .451 | .369 | .678 | ||||||
On July 11, 2018, Casspi signed with the Memphis Grizzlies, and figures to provide veteran leadership as they attempt to return to the playoffs.
TJ Leaf
Leaf was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, and moved to California as a kid, and ended up playing for the UCLA Bruins. He was later selected by the Pacers in the first round of the 2017 NBA draft with the 18th overall pick.
Leaf figures to have a promising NBA career – standing at 6’10 and weighing 230 lb, with a shot that stretches out to the 3 point line, he is suited for the modern NBA. We expect him to get more playing time as the upcoming season progresses.
| TJ LEAF | PPG | 3PT% | FT% | FG% | ASSISTS | BLOCKS | STEALS | OREB | DREB | MIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 12.7 | 20 | 57.1 | 48.5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 14 | 80 |
| NBA Rank | 439th | 38th | 418th | 181st | 439th | – | 424th | 255th | 368th | 361st |
Recent Jewish NBA Players:
Jordan Farmar
Although he’s no Smush Parker, Farmar is a local legend when people talk about former LA Lakers’ point guards. Farmar has the best of both worlds: his mother is Jewish, (making him fully Jewish according to Jewish law), and his father was a minor league baseball player, thereby giving him the athleticism that seems to escape most Jews. Jordan Farmar even went to Hebrew School in LA, and had a Bar Mitzvah.
As for his NBA prowess, well, Farmar is no slouch, as he has eked out a moderately successful NBA career. Although never really a starter, Farmar is a top notch backup point guard, who knows how to run an offense and keep things fluid. He won’t take over a game, but he’l keep things stable and can score occasionally as well.
Farmar’s biggest contribution came in the playoffs (he is a two time champ), and his performance in the 2009-2010 playoffs (particularly in the Finals) were rock solid, providing smart passing and solid long distance shooting down the stretch.
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | L.A. Lakers | 72 | 2 | 15.1 | .422 | .328 | .711 | 1.7 | 1.9 | .6 | .1 | 4.4 |
| 2007–08 | L.A. Lakers | 82 | 0 | 20.6 | .461 | .371 | .679 | 2.2 | 2.7 | .9 | .1 | 9.1 |
| 2008–09† | L.A. Lakers | 65 | 0 | 18.3 | .391 | .336 | .584 | 1.8 | 2.4 | .9 | .2 | 6.4 |
| 2009–10† | L.A. Lakers | 82 | 0 | 18.0 | .435 | .376 | .671 | 1.6 | 1.5 | .6 | .1 | 7.2 |
| 2010–11 | New Jersey | 73 | 18 | 24.6 | .392 | .359 | .820 | 2.4 | 5.0 | .8 | .1 | 9.6 |
| 2011–12 | New Jersey | 39 | 5 | 21.3 | .467 | .440 | .905 | 1.6 | 3.3 | .6 | .1 | 10.4 |
| 2013–14 | L.A. Lakers | 41 | 5 | 22.2 | .415 | .438 | .746 | 2.5 | 4.9 | .9 | .2 | 10.1 |
| 2014–15 | L.A. Clippers | 36 | 0 | 14.7 | .386 | .361 | .909 | 1.2 | 1.9 | .6 | .1 | 4.6 |
| 2015–16 | Memphis | 12 | 10 | 24.3 | .420 | .356 | 1.000 | 2.1 | 3.1 | 1.3 | .2 | 9.2 |
| 2016–17 | Sacramento | 2 | 0 | 17.5 | .333 | .444 | – | 1.5 | 4.5 | 1.0 | .0 | 6.0 |
| Career | 504 | 40 | 19.5 | .423 | .374 | .739 | 1.9 | 2.9 | .8 | .1 | 7.7 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | L.A. Lakers | 5 | 5 | 22.8 | .429 | .200 | .857 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 1.2 | .2 | 6.4 |
| 2008 | L.A. Lakers | 21 | 0 | 17.1 | .383 | .386 | .875 | 1.6 | 1.3 | .3 | .2 | 5.7 |
| 2009† | L.A. Lakers | 20 | 1 | 13.0 | .391 | .308 | .737 | 1.6 | 1.7 | .5 | .2 | 4.7 |
| 2010† | L.A. Lakers | 23 | 0 | 13.1 | .404 | .400 | .692 | 1.2 | 1.4 | .7 | .0 | 4.6 |
| 2016 | Memphis | 4 | 4 | 28.3 | .323 | .333 | 1.000 | 1.5 | 4.0 | .8 | .3 | 6.8 |
| Career | 73 | 10 | 15.7 | .389 | .355 | .793 | 1.5 | 1.6 | .6 | .1 | 5.2 | |
Gal Mekel
Mekel has had an interesting journey in recent years, but is no longer in the NBA.
After playing NCAA with two years at Wichita State, he played in Israel and then Italy. In 2013, he signed a three-year minimum salaried contract with the Dallas Mavericks. In doing so, he became the 2nd Israeli in the NBA (Casspi was the first). Unfortunately for Mekel, his NBA career didn’t last long, with his paltry career numbers as evidence:
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Dallas | 31 | 1 | 9.4 | .349 | .250 | .667 | .9 | 2.0 | .1 | .0 | 2.4 |
| 2014–15 | New Orleans | 4 | 0 | 10.8 | .150 | .0 | .0 | .3 | 3.3 | .5 | .0 | 1.5 |
| Career | 35 | 1 | 9.6 | .311 | .217 | .667 | .8 | 2.2 | .2 | .0 | 2.3 |
Though Mekel is not an active player, he is certainly on the fringe, and on the radar of a handful of GM’s who need reserve point guards.
This article overlaps with our NBA players from Israel page. Also, be sure to check out our new list of Italian NBA players!
Future Jewish NBA Players:
Deni Avdija is the talk of the town as a possible top 5 pick in the 2020 NBA draft. At 6’9, Avdija possesses excellent ball skills in the open floor. He has the ability to pass on the move and has a great feel for the game. He finished the FIBA U20 tournament with averages of 18.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.4 blocks and 2.1 steals per game, also placing second in the tournament with an efficiency index at 22.6 on average.
The Next Generation of Giants
Looking for the tallest young players in the world? Our 7-Foot Prospect Database tracks every active player listed at 7 feet or taller and born in 2001 or later: nearly 400 players from 61 countries, last checked on 9 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How many Jewish players are in the NBA in 2026-27?
Three players widely reported as Jewish are on NBA rosters as of October 2026: Deni Avdija (Portland Trail Blazers), Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf (both Brooklyn Nets). Domantas Sabonis is counted by some outlets, but his conversion has not been confirmed.
Who was the first Israeli player in the NBA?
Omri Casspi. The Sacramento Kings drafted him 23rd overall in 2009 and he played in the NBA until 2019.
Who is the first Israeli NBA All-Star?
Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers, who was named an All-Star in February 2026.
Is there a Jewish center in the NBA?
Yes. Danny Wolf of the Brooklyn Nets is listed at 6 feet 11 by RealGM and 7 feet by other sources, and plays center and power forward.
More guides: NBA players by country. Scouting reports: NBA center prospects.
Sources: Jewish Telegraphic Agency, The Forward, Times of Israel, J. The Jewish News of Northern California, The Jewish Chronicle, NBA.com and RealGM. Last checked 9 October 2026.
