After his strong performances at the 2025 European Basketball Championships in Latvia and Finland, there was already speculation about Isaac Bonga’s return to the NBA. Even though Partizan Belgrade has rejected several “lucrative offers” for the German international, a renewed commitment to the best basketball league in the world remains a hot topic.
Most recently the Serbian newspaper Meridian Sports reports that four NBA teams have made an offer for the 26-year-old. The strong defensive forward is therefore one of the most sought-after players outside of North America. In the NBA, players from outside the league can be signed until April 12th.
Partizan President Ostoja Mijailovic confirmed that there were really offers from overseas for the German Sports now: “After consulting with the coach and the sports director, we decided to reject the offer. Bonga is an important player in our system and we want to win titles with him this season.”
According to the Serb, an unnamed NBA team was prepared to pay a transfer fee of $875,000. Even if the top club rejected the offer for the German, a return to the NBA apparently remains possible. “The player has a release clause for the NBA, although the transfer fee would be the same,” said Mijailovic.
Bonga star rose at the 2025 European Basketball Championships
Bonga averages 9.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. The 26-year-old once again caught the attention of the NBA with strong performances at last year’s European Championships. In the final he helped Germany triumph against Turkey with 20 points (4/4 triples). Bonga received the title as the best defender of the tournament.
“Partizan respects the ambitions of its players, but will always look at its own sporting goals, stability and long-term interests,” explained Mijailovic with a view to the future of the DBB star, who moved from FC Bayern to the Serbian capital in 2024. He had previously been able to get a taste of the NBA.
In the 2018 draft he came to the Los Angeles Lakers as a second-round pick, and in total he made 143 appearances for the Lakers, Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors in the best league in the world. He was unable to secure a permanent rotation spot.