By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
T.J. Leaf will undergo surgery after dislocating his left shoulder and is expected to be sidelined for several months. After adding him to the injury report last week, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv updated his status on Monday morning.
Zach Hankins (ankle) recently received medical clearance to return to action. After being sidelined since late December, the 29-year-old center is expected to play for the team coached by Oded Kattash in Round 16 of the Israeli Winner League. They will face Maccabi Ra’ananna at the MetroWest on Monday evening. Furthermore, Lonnie Walker IV (shoulder) is expected to resume training later this week after being out since early January.
In the bad news for Maccabi, 28-year-old Leaf is facing a lengthy spell on the injury report, potentially for the remainder of the 2025–26 season depending on progress in rehab.
Introducing himself to the EuroLeague this season, the former UCLA standout and veteran of 151 games in the experienced big, Leaf tallied 9.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.5 blocks, and 0.4 steals over 24 appearances, including one start. Domestically, he put up 9.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.3 blocks per contest over 14 appearances.
At 12-15 with 11 games left in the EuroLeague’s Regular Season, the Yellows are three games away from the Play-In Showdown zone, while carrying a league-high 14-1 in Israel’s Winner League. Losing Leaf’s versatility is a major blow as the team enters a critical stretch of continental and domestic challenges.