According to the website "Basket News", Maccabi Tel Aviv tried last summer to add Latvian center Rolands Schmitts from Zalgiris Kaunas.
The European website covered Ex Barcelona's decision to commit to the Lithuanian team in the summer, stating: "It attracted the attention of Žalgiris, Partizan Belgrade and Maccabi Tel Aviv."
The details of the contract offered to the player by the Israeli team added: "Maccabi could have offered him a three-year contract with a solid core behind the best back line in Europe built with Lorenzo Brown and Wade Baldwin."
In the end, as mentioned, the center decided to continue at Zalgiris, and became one of the club's top earners in recent years. He put up good numbers in the Euroleague this season with 9.7 points and 4.7 rebounds and was part of Zalgiris' qualification for the playoffs.
Rolands Smits is set to become one of the best-paid Zalgiris players in years.
But his choice to remain with Zalgiris wasn't solely motivated by money despite receiving strong interest from Partizan & Maccabi.
My story about Rolands Smits on BasketNewshttps://t.co/6a7BE2Qk2k
— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) June 8, 2023
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