RETAbet Bilbao Transfer Watch

RETAbet Bilbao Basket took arguably the most important step  in planning their 2020-21 season as early as May when they renewed their collaboration with head coach Alex Mumbrú, who is nothing short of a legend in Bilbao as he spent there the final nine years of his playing career and then turned coach to take the reins of the team.

The 'Men in Black' have lured a coveted European forward in Polish league MVP Jaroslaw Zyskowski, who averaged  15.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game for PLK champions Stelmet Zielona Gora and then briefly joined German side Rasta Vechta in June, averaging 14.6 points and 3 boards in the easyCredit BBL season-ending tournament.

Bilbao have signed another member of the championship-winning Zielona Gora side in point guard Ludde Hakanson. The Swedish international, who averaged 11 points and 5.6 assists per game in the PLK, came up in the FC Barcelona youth system and has also played for fellow Spanish sides Sevilla and Fuenlabrada.

The Basque team had to remodel their frontcourt and turned to Kingsley Moses  and Aaron Jones but parted ways with both big men shortly after the start of the season. Moses had 10 points and 3 rebounds in one BCL game with Bilbao while Jones played in the first two games of the 2020-21 BCL season with Bilbao and left to join French side Cholet.

Bilbao also signed Brazilian Felipe Dos Anjos, who came up through the Real Madrid youth system.. 

The 22-year-old Dos Anjos spent last season at LEB Oro side Palencia, but has some experience of the Liga Endesa as he played for San Pablo Burgos in 2018, after leaving Real Madrid's youth team.

In replacement of Jones, Bilbao signed Lithuanian international Regimantas Miniotas, granting him the chance to play for a club outside his country for the first time in his career. The 24-year-old power forward was in his second consecutive season with CBet Prienai and averaged an impressive double-double of 18.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game through the start of the 2020-21 LKL season.

Bilbao have also signed Alex Reyes, a 26-year-old Spanish forward who spent last season at Oviedo in the LEB Oro (Spanish second division) and averaged 12.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per contest.

Following a season-ending injury to Tomeu Rigo in mid-October, Bilbao secured the services of 19-year-old Jovan Kljajic, who arrives on loan from fellow Spanish side Herbalife Gran Canaria. In November, they also secured the loan of veteran center Goran Huskic, who arrives from reigning BCL champions Hereda San Pablo Burgos.

The latest addition to the roster was shooting guard John Jenkins, who signed a two-month temporary contract with Bilbao on December 15.

The 29-year-old American has previous experience of Spanish hoops as he he played for reigning BCL champions Hereda San Pablo Burgos in the 2017-18 season. Jenkins joins Bilbao as a free-agent and he last played in 2019-20 for Israeli side Hapoel Eilat.