Even if it wouldn’t come in the NBA, Jonah Bolden was ready to see a step up in competition. After leading KK FMP Beograd (Belgrade) in scoring as a 21-year-old and earning the Adriatic League Top Prospect award (two of the three previous winners: Dario Saric and Nikola Jokic), he was going to graduate from the farm club to Red Star Belgrade. This meant a salary bump and the chance to play in the EuroLeague, the best basketball competition in the world outside of the NBA.



But then over the summer, something important happened that also affected his basketball career: He got drafted.



The Sixers selected Bolden with the 36th pick, and he turned a few heads in summer league with his combination of length and fluidity along with a projectable, if unrefined offensive skill set. Many Sixers fans wondered if there was a spot for him in Philly this upcoming season. Among those watching in Las Vegas was the brain trust for Maccabi Tel Aviv, one of the premier basketball...