Overview
- Alba Berlin, which announced the deal Wednesday, signed Michael Rataj through the end of the current Basketball Bundesliga season.
- Club officials plan to gauge his fit over the final six regular-season games, with a first look likely in Monday’s home game against Telekom Baskets Bonn.
- Sporting director Himar Ojeda said the search turned to young Germans after Martynas Echodas left, and he described Rataj as a high-upside option to prove himself at BBL level.
- Rataj is a 2.04-meter wing from Augsburg who came through Bayern’s youth setup, debuted in the BBL with Ratiopharm Ulm, and played U.S. college basketball at Baylor and Oregon State.
- His arrival adds size and energy on the wing and frontcourt as Alba fine-tunes its rotation ahead of the playoff quarterfinals starting May 16.