Virtus Segafredo Bologna have reached an agreement with Ismael Bako, the Italian club announced.
The 27-year-old Belgian center had overtaken Jaylen Reynolds in Sergio Scariolo's list and will join Jordan Mickey on the EuroLeague newcomers' roster.
Bako signed a two-year deal with BAXI Manresa in 2021, averaging 10.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists in the ACB and 8.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists per BCL contest.
Ismael Bako
| Team: |
BAXI Manresa |
| Position: | C |
| Age: | 26 |
| Height: | 208 cm |
| Weight: | 95 kg |
| Birth place: | Leuven, Belgium |
He ended the season with the Spanish team with a performance of 16 points and 11 rebounds, in Game 2 of the playoffs, against Spanish champions Real Madrid.
The Belgian big man started his career with Leuven Bears and then moved on to Telenet Giants Antwerp (2017-19), where he won the Belgian Cup in 2018 and was named Belgian league MVP. In 2019, Bako made the Basketball Champions League Final Four and was named to the tournament's First Team.
In the summer of 2019, he joined LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne where he made his EuroLeague debut. Playing for LDCL ASVEL Villeurbanne, he posted 5.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 6.1 PIR over 51 games.
With ASVEL, Bako became the champion of the French Cup and League.
In Belgium's two last two victories against the Serbian national team for the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers, he scored a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds in the match played in November, while recording 17 points and 6 rebounds on July 3.
Current roster:
 | Virtus Bologna | |
| Position | Player | Status |
| PG | Milos Teodosic | Signed until 2022+1 |
| PG | Alessandro Pajola | Signed until 2025 |
| PG | Nico Mannion | Signed until 2023 |
| PG | Michele Ruzzier | Signed until 2023 |
| PG/SG | Daniel Hackett | Signed until 2024 |
| SG | Marco Belinelli | Signed until 2023 |
| SG | Isaia Cordinier | Signed until 2023 |
| SF | Kyle Weems | Signed until 2023 |
| SF | Awudu Abass | Signed until 2024 |
| PF | Kevin Hervey | Signed until 2023 |
| PF/C | Jordan Mickey (story) | Signed until 2023 |
| PF/C | Ismael Bako (story) | Signed until 2023 |
| C | Mouhammadou Jaiteh | Signed until 2023 |
| C | JaKarr Sampson | Signed until 2023 |
| Coach | Sergio Scariolo | |
| Expired contract | Tornike Shengelia, Amedeo Tessitori (will not return), Amar Alibegovic (will not return) | |
| Rumored to leave | Kevin Hervey, Nico Mannion, Ekpe Udoh, Jakar Sampson | |
| Interested | Achille Polonara (story), Nikola Milutinov (story), Tornike Shengelia, Marco Spissu, Jalen Reynolds (story) | |
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