Claudio Coldebella’s new professional adventure as GM of Maccabi Tel Aviv has officially begun. After Jaylen Hoard’s contract extension and the addition of two Israelis, TJ Leaf and Gur Lavy, the first move on the foreign front was the two-year signing of the Canadian. Oshae brissett, a 243-game NBA veteran making his first appearance in Europe. Standing 2.03’95” and XNUMX pounds, he possesses remarkable athleticism, allowing him to be very versatile and maintain a high level of energy on both ends of the court. Thanks to the partnership with Synergy, we’ll be able to analyze his performances, but first, let’s retrace his career to date.
Career
Born in Toronto in 1998 to Jamaican parents, Oshae Brissett initially made his mark in the United States at the prestigious Findlay Prep, before returning home for his senior year of high school at the Athlete Institute in Ontario. His college choice fell on nearby Syracuse, where Brissett earned a starting spot in his freshman year, finding plenty of playing time (38.1 minutes per game, 5th in the nation) and immediately posting impressive numbers, averaging 14.9 points and 8.8 rebounds.
Brissett’s performance remained at a high level in his second season, playing a few minutes less but averaging similar numbers to the previous season (12.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 33 minutes per game). In 2019, the Canadian decided to leave Syracuse to declare for the NBA Draft, finishing his two years in Orange with a 100% starting roster, two NCAA Tournament appearances, and a selection to the ACC Freshman Team.
Despite missing the draft, Brissett signed a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors, a franchise with which he played primarily in the G-League, averaging 30 points and 14.7 rebounds in 6.5 games. After being waived just days into the season, the Canadian forward was selected in the G-League Draft by the Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Indiana’s affiliate), where, with averages of 18.6 points and 9.7 rebounds in 12 games, he earned his first call-up to the Pacers. In his first 10-day contract, Brissett found limited playing time, playing just 4 minutes in 5 games, but management decided to extend his stay in the NBA for another ten days.
On April 19, with one day left in the second 10-day season, he was named the starter by coach Nate Bjorkgren (who had previously coached him as an assistant with the Raptors) in the home loss to the Spurs, where he posted 13 points and 6 rebounds. The following day, Indiana sealed a three-year contract with the player, who averaged 15 points and 13 rebounds in his last 7 games, shooting 40% from beyond the arc. The following year, the Pacers confirmed him as a key player off the bench, averaging just over 9 points and 5 rebounds per game in 23 minutes of play.
In the final year of his contract, his playing time decreased, dropping to 6.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game. In the summer of 2023, he signed a two-year deal with the Celtics, accepting less playing time (3.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game) in a contender with whom he would win the title at the end of the season. Despite the contract option in his favor, Brissett decided to leave Boston to test free agency again, but was unable to find playing time elsewhere. After an 11-game stint in the G-League with the Long Island Nets averaging 12 points and 5.5 rebounds, the Canadian signed a 10-day contract with Philadelphia in March. The six games he played for the Sixers, averaging 6 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, were his last appearances on the hardwood before signing with Maccabi.
To provide the most accurate analysis possible, we will focus on Brissett’s three seasons with the Pacers, a period that encompasses nearly 80% of his NBA minutes.