Ben Saraf

Saraf is an Israeli guard who became one of the first two Israeli players drafted by the same NBA team when the Brooklyn Nets selected him 26th overall in 2025 alongside Danny Wolf at 27th overall. His path to the league traversed the Israeli second division, the Israeli Premier League, and the German Basketball Bundesliga, culminating in a guaranteed two-year NBA contract and G League assignments with the Long Island Nets.

Born Ben Avraham Saraf on April 14, 2006, in South Africa to Israeli parents, he moved with his family to Israel at age three and grew up in Moshav Gan Yoshiya in the Emek Hefer Regional Council. His father, Yedid, played one season for Bnei Herzliya Basket in the Israeli Premier League, and his mother, Ella Amir Sharaf, played for the Israeli women's national team and in Israel's second basketball division. He attended Ramot Yam Emek Hefer high school.

Saraf began his professional career at age 16 with Elitzur Netanya in the Israeli Basketball National League, the second division. In the 2022–23 season, he averaged 14.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists and was named the National League's Sixth Player of the Season and Rookie of the Year. In July 2023, he signed with Elitzur Kiryat Ata of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. After averaging 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.0 steal in 2023–24, he was named the Israeli Premier League Rising Star.

On June 20, 2024, Saraf signed with Ratiopharm Ulm of the German Basketball Bundesliga. Playing under coach Ty Harrelson, he assumed a major role and helped the team reach the Bundesliga finals, averaging 12.8 points and 4.6 assists in 2024–25. His performance in Germany demonstrated his readiness for a higher level of European competition and positioned him as a legitimate NBA draft prospect.

The Brooklyn Nets selected Saraf with the 26th overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft. He signed a guaranteed two-year contract worth $2.4 million in his rookie season and $2.52 million in his second season. On December 15, 2025, he was assigned to the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn's G League affiliate. Before him, only three Israeli players had been drafted and played in the NBA: Omri Casspi, T. J. Leaf, and Deni Avdija.

Saraf has been a standout scorer at the junior international level. He played for the Israel under-16 team at the 2022 FIBA U16 European Championship, leading the tournament in scoring at 24.3 points per game and earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Two years later, he led the 2024 FIBA U18 EuroBasket Championship in scoring at 28.1 points per game and in steals at 4.0 per game, was named tournament MVP, and made the All-Tournament Team as Israel finished fourth.

Saraf is a scoring guard with elite shot-making, craft off the dribble, and playmaking instincts. His junior international scoring averages reflect a player who can generate points against age-group competition, and his professional numbers in Israel and Germany confirm that his offensive skill set translates to adult competition. He attacks the basket with either hand, uses floaters and mid-range pull-ups, and has shown three-point range in European settings. Defensively, his steal totals at the U18 level reflect active hands and anticipation, though his overall NBA defensive readiness remains an area of evaluation. His size and frame will need to fill out to withstand NBA physicality.

Saraf enters the 2025–26 season as a rookie guard on a guaranteed contract with the Brooklyn Nets. His résumé includes early professional success in Israel, a Rising Star award, Bundesliga finals experience, historic draft selection alongside another Israeli, and dominant junior international scoring performances. His transition from the Israeli National League to the German Bundesliga and into the NBA marks one of the most rapid developmental climbs among Israeli prospects.