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Jochen Tittmar

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Talks at an advanced stage: German World Cup hero reportedly set for a spectacular move

Transfers

ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne is eyeing a bold move for the upcoming EuroLeague season, with reports suggesting the club is targeting two German national team players.

Basketnews reports that world and European champion Daniel Theis is the French powerhouse's primary transfer target, while there is also speculation about interest in Nick Weiler-Babb.

  • Having already sent a clear signal to its European rivals by offering legendary coach Tony Parker a multi-million-euro contract extension, and with an agreement with point guard Sylvain Francisco on the cards, the project is now taking on an extremely ambitious shape. 

    Big man Theis, who played a key role in the DBB team's historic gold medal successes at the World Cup and the European Championships, has, according to the report, become one of the French side's absolute "top transfer targets". For the 34-year-old, it would mean staying on familiar ground, albeit under a new banner: his contract with AS Monaco expires at the end of the current season. 

    Although Monaco are currently competing in the French playoff semi-finals as they attempt to defend their title, Theis is sidelined.

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    Theis guided Monaco to the EuroLeague final

    The veteran has been sidelined since the end of April, when he suffered a hand injury just minutes into Bayern Munich's fiercely contested EuroLeague play-off clash with Olympiacos Piraeus. The setback cut short what had otherwise been a rock-solid personal campaign.

    Across 58 outings for the Principality's star-studded squad, he logged just under 20 minutes per game, delivering 9.9 points and 4.9 rebounds.

    His switch to Monaco last term was a logical European return after his NBA contract was terminated; in the United States, he had long proven his worth as a reliable role player. 

    His physicality and defensive prowess helped Monaco reach its first-ever EuroLeague final that season, proving his winning touch remains intact.

  • Weiler-Babb endured a frustrating spell.

    Defensive specialist Weiler-Babb, a long-serving pillar of FC Bayern Basketball and a naturalised German international, is currently enduring a frustrating spell. Last summer he turned over a new leaf, signing a two-year deal with Turkish giants Anadolu Efes.

    Instead of contending for a EuroLeague title, the Istanbul side plummeted to the foot of the table, sparking transfer speculation. 

    A switch to ASVEL would rekindle memories: both Theis and Weiler-Babb suited up for Germany at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, thrilling fans. Now the two DBB mainstays could reunite on French soil for club duty.

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