By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Following up on a recent preview by LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne president, Tony Parker, Valencia officially added Neal Sako on Thursday.
Per the press release: “Valencia Basket has reached an agreement for French international center Neal Sako (2.10m, Aubergenville, 08/13/1998, 26 years old) to join our men’s team. The player has already signed a contract for the next two seasons, through June 30, 2027, after successfully completing his medical and physical examinations at QuirónSalud Hospital in Valencia.
Neal Sako arrives from LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, where he made his EuroLeague debut this season, playing in 33 games—27 of them as a starter—averaging 9 points and 6.2 rebounds (the seventh-best in the competition), with a performance index rating of 12.4. One of the areas in which he particularly stood out in his first season in Europe’s top competition was offensive rebounding, ranking second in the league with 2.7 offensive boards per game and grabbing 16.5% of all available offensive rebounds. This season, he also made his debut with the French senior national team during the February 2025 FIBA EuroBasket qualifiers, contributing to victories over Croatia and Bosnia.”
Preparing to return to the EuroLeague, Valencia previously added Kameron Taylor to the 2025-26 roster as the first summer signing, besides confirming contract extensions for Jean Montero and Xabi Lopez-Arostegui over recent weeks. Other players under contract for the next season include Brancou Badio, Matt Costello, Sergio De Larrea, Ethan Happ, Chris Jones, Jaime Pradilla, Nathan Reuvers, and Nate Sestina.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net