Dubai Basketball has reached an agreement with Mamadi Diakite on a multi-year deal, who joins the club after an impressive first EuroLeague season with Baskonia.
The Guinean forward-center averaged 8.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and a PIR of 10.1 in 19 minutes per game, while also finishing as the Liga Endesa’s leading shot blocker and helping Baskonia win the 2026 Spanish Cup.
One of his standout performances came against his future team, Dubai Basketball, when he posted 27 points and a PIR of 37.
Born in Conakry, Guinea, Diakite moved to the United States as a teenager and developed through the American basketball system. After winning the NCAA championship with the University of Virginia, he began his professional career in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he was part of the 2021 NBA Championship team. He later continued his development across the NBA and G League, steadily establishing himself as a mobile, athletic and versatile frontcourt player.
After years of growth in North America and a successful breakthrough season in Europe, Diakite arrives in Dubai as a proven two-way player capable of impacting the game on both ends of the floor. His athleticism, rim protection, versatility and physical presence make him an important addition to Dubai Basketball’s frontcourt for the seasons ahead.
Meanwhile, American guard Davion Mintz also joined Dubai Basketball for the 2026/27 season after signing a multi-year agreement. The 28-year-old joins from Würzburg Baskets in Germany.
Mintz arrives in Dubai following a standout season with Würzburg Baskets, where the 1.91-metre guard averaged 16.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3 assists per game across 31 German League appearances. He carried that form into the playoffs, posting 15 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, while also making his mark in the Basketball Champions League with averages of 15.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 14 games.
A combo guard with a reliable mid-range game and three-point shot, Mintz is comfortable creating his own offence and brings another scoring dimension to Dubai’s backcourt rotation.
Last Friday, Dubai Basketball announced that French guard Elie Okobo would also play for the club after reaching an agreement on a multi-year deal.
The 28-year-old joins from AS Monaco, where he spent the last four seasons (2022-26), following a one-year stint with fellow French side LDLC ASVEL (2021/22).
Okobo arrives in Dubai with extensive experience at the highest level of European basketball. The 1.91-metre guard has appeared in 182 EuroLeague games during his career, averaging 12.2 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
Okobo arrives in Dubai following one of the finest seasons of his career, having been named both the 2025/26 French Championship MVP and the league’s Finals MVP.
He also recorded a career-high 4.9 assists per game and scored 470 points in the 2025/26 EuroLeague season. His standout performance came against Paris Basketball in December 2025, when he posted 26 points, four rebounds and a season-high PIR of 39.
Source: Khaleej Times