For many Israelis, the NBA Draft is not a widely followed event, usually drawing only the most dedicated basketball fans, yet this year has changed that narrative. On July 1st, two Israeli basketball players were drafted in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. This was an unprecedented moment made even more remarkable because they were picked back-to-back by the same team.
The players in question, Ben Saraf, a native Israeli who most recently played for Ratiopharm Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga in Germany, was drafted 26th, and Danny Wolf, an American-Israeli, who previously played for the University of Michigan, was drafted 27th. While there have been other Jewish and Israeli stars who play or have played in the NBA such as Deni Avdija, currently a starting power forward for the Portland Trail Blazers, Omri Casspi, former NBA forward for a number of teams including the Sacremento Kings, and Ryan Turell, a formal forward for the Motor City Cruise, the Detriot Pistons NBA G – League team, Israel has never seen two players drafted in the same first round to the same team. Both stars previously showcased competitive skills in their respective leagues, earning them this opportunity to play in and be the first Israeli duo in the NBA.
Daniel Abraham Wolf was born May 5, 2004, in Glencoe, Illinois, in the United States. From an early age, Wolf has been a natural-born star, having grown up in an athletic family in which two of his brothers played basketball in college, his father in high school, and his mother having played tennis in high school. Wolf began his high school career playing for his varsity team at Lake Forest Academy in Illinois for three years, and then transferred to Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts for his senior year, carrying his team to the finals in both the NEPSAC Triple-A championship and the national prep championship. In the same year, Wolf was a 3-star recruit ranking 11th in the country, earning himself a nomination to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game.
In his college career, Wolf played his first 2 seasons at Yale (2022-2024) and more notably, transferred to the University of Michigan in April of 2024. At Michigan, Wolf played power forward and averaged 13.2 points, 9.7 rebounds (leading the Big Ten conference), 3.6 assists, and 1.4 blocks, leading Michigan to a Big Ten Tournament championship, and earning a spot as a finalist for the Karl Malone Award. Standing seven feet tall (2.13 m) and weighing 250 pounds (113 kg), Wolf declared for the NBA draft after his junior season, forgoing his senior season.
With a height of 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) and a weight of 200 lb (91 kg), Ben Saraf had a unique journey in becoming the 26th overall pick of the 2025 NBA draft. Unlike Wolf’s more traditional path to the NBA, Saraf was raised in Israel. Ben Avraham Saraf was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, to Israeli parents, and at the age of three moved to Moshav Gan Yoshiya in the Emek Hefer Regional Council in Israel. Like Wolf, Saraf also grew up in an athletic family with his father having played professionally in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, and his mother, for the Israeli Women’s national basketball team.
Saraf started his career playing for Elitzur Netanya, a team in the 2nd division of the Israeli basketball National league (2022-2023) as a point guard/shooting guard, just at the age of 16. The following season, he played for Elitzur Kiryat Atak, a team in the top division of the Israeli Basketball Premier League (2023-2024), and most recently, before the draft, Saraf signed with Ratiopharm Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) in Germany for the 2024 – 2025 season. During this season, Saraf averaged 12.8 points and 4.6 assists per game, leading Ratiopharm Ulm to the Bundesliga finals. Saraf played for the Israeli national team in 2022 and 2024 in the FIBA U16 and U18 European Championship being named to both the U16 and U18 All-Tournament teams as well as earning tournament MVP in 2024.
The historical duo is not only popular in Israel, but also serves as an inspiration for Jews all over the world. It seems like Saraf and Wolf have a big opportunity to be ambassadors of the Jewish/Israeli community, being the NBA’s first Israeli duo. Saraf and Wolf were officially introduced as members of the Nets in a July press conference in which all 5 of the Nets’ picks were present.
“I got a lot of messages … getting a lot of love from the Jewish community here … of course it’s the first time we’re both Israelis and playing for the same team,” said Saraf, sharing the overwhelming support he has received from the Jewish community.
“My basketball journey’s been definitely up and down, and it’s taken a few different steps to get to where I am today,” said Wolf, sharing some insight on his journey to the draft.
“The Jewish community here is very excited about it … you’ve got two incredible ambassadors for that here,” said Nets general manager Sean Marks, praising the pair.
As of December 2025, the rookie season for the Brooklyn Nets’ newly drafted Israeli duo has been officially underway. Wolf is averaging 5.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on 42.1% shooting, while Saraf is averaging 4.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 3 assists with a 31.4% field-goal percentage. Both players have seen limited minutes off the bench, with Saraf recording the only start between the two so far, while Wolf has appeared exclusively from the bench. Each has also spent time with the Nets’ G League affiliate in Long Island as they continue to fight for a more consistent role. While some fans may find these early numbers underwhelming, slow starts are common for NBA rookies, who often spend their first few seasons developing their skills, adjusting to the pace of the league, and refining their game.
Elsewhere in Israeli basketball news, Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija is having a breakout year, averaging a career-high 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists with a field goal percentage of 47.6%, ranking him 15th in the NBA in points per game. Avdija is widely projected to make his first All-Star appearance and is a strong contender for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. For many Israeli fans, there is hope that Wolf and Saraf will channel some of the momentum from Avdija’s rapid rise as they continue developing throughout their rookie year.
With excitement in watching the duo progress, the burning question is whether they can eventually find the chemistry needed to help steer the Nets back to the Finals for the first time since 2003. Unfortunately, Brooklyn has struggled in the first quarter of the season with a 4–16 record, but perhaps this young pair can help spark a turnaround as the season continues to unfold.
This piece was originally written in June 2025 when the draft picks were fresh. The Iranian war put a pause on its publication.
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