Drama and uncertainty are engulfing the career of 2020 Boston Celtics second-round pick Yam Madar at the moment.
The Israeli floor general, picked 47th this past November by the Cs, is facing some monetary issues with his current team, Hapoel Tel Aviv:
"Madar has filed a lawsuit asking for arbitration regarding his release from playing for his current in the Premier League — Hapoel Tel Aviv — at the end of the current season. Madar claims that his team is demanding $700,000 for his release despite the terms of his current deal allegedly allowing him to leave free and clear at the end of this season. Hapoel Tel Aviv is reportedly disputing this account, and interpretation."
Contracts in the NBA are too ironclad to see this sort of thing happen, but for a smaller league such as the Israeli Premier League, this is a somewhat commonplace practice. Even the bigger soccer (or football for the Houdini’s international readers) leagues such as the EPL and Seria A will have team-player relations turn bitter.
This season is not the ideal season for Madar to be apart of such dysfunction, though. Unlike in past years, he cannot come stateside and have a spot in the Boston Celtics organization via the G-League.
With the Maine Red Claws opting out of the upcoming Lake Buena Vista bubble from Walt Disney World’s Wide World of Sports complex, there are fewer chances for the Cs to assess talent to fill out the roster’s fringes.
Without the Red Claws, Tacko Fall and Tremont Waters would have missed out on valuable development opportunities. This year is different, though. The pandemic is taking its toll on sports, just as it has in every other facet of life for the past eleven months.
If Madar can’t fix things with Hapoel Tel Aviv, he won’t have a roster spot with the Boston Celtics. With the G-League not an option, he may have to stay stashed.