“Israeli version of D’Angelo Russell”: Jonathan Givony comes up with interesting comparison for No. 26 pick Ben Saraf 

The Brooklyn Nets took foreign prospect Ben Saraf as their No. 26 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, adding another guard to their backcourt rotation for next season. Hailing from Israel, Saraf has been known for his scoring ability, leading his countrymen to various international tournaments and even keeping himself competitive in a German pro league.

With notable accolades to back him up, Saraf has caught the attention of numerous basketball pundits, including ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony, who has been following him since his stock rose last year:

“He has an outstanding feel for the game. Think of it as an Israeli version of D’Angelo Russell. But with a little streakier of an outside shot, affection for midrange jumpers, and some similar question marks defensively."

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Standing at 6-foot-5, the left-handed Saraf was the MVP of the 2024 FIBA U18 European Championship for Israel. He also played with Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany’s BBL as a teenager, making noise about his NBA potential. There, he tallied 12.3 points, 4.3 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game.

Saraf started playing professional basketball at the age of 16 in his home country. In the Israeli Premier League in 2023, the scoring guard showed flashes of his offensive skill set, putting up 10.7 ppg, 3.7 apg, 3.2 rpg, and 1.0 spg.

Saraf was one of five first-round picks by the Nets in this year’s draft. Among them are No. 8 pick Egor Demin, No. 19 pick Nolan Traore, No. 22 pick Drake Powell and No. 27 pick Danny Wolf.

At 19 years old, Ben Saraf feels this is the perfect time to enter the NBA

With numerous international experiences already in his bag, Ben Saraf, even at 19, believes this is the right time to become an NBA player.

Talking to Givony in a report last April, Saraf expressed how excited he is to join the NBA, and how he feels this was the perfect moment to become an NBA player:

"This is the right time for me… After playing against the highest levels of competition in European basketball, I am ready and excited for the draft.”

Saraf will be joining a Nets team that finished 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 26-56 record last year.

Edited by Veer Badani