Roanne faces a significant setback as Jahvon Blair, who previously sustained a shoulder injury earlier in the season, is now sidelined for the remainder of the championship due to a recurrence suffered in training last week. Medical examinations have confirmed his unavailability until the end of the season. This is a major blow for the team, as the Canadian international was the league’s second-leading scorer, averaging an impressive 18.0 points per game, just behind John Roberson of Hyères Toulon (18.4).
To bolster their squad, Roanne has signed American combo guard Latrell Reid. Reid began the current season in Europe, playing for Esgueira in Portugal, where he delivered strong performances for several months, averaging 18.3 points (with 35% from three-point range) and 9.7 assists. Subsequently, he moved to the Israeli league at the start of the year, joining Ashkelon, where he contributed 11 points and 5 assists per game over 7 matches. However, the suspension of the Israeli championship due to the conflict in the Middle East led to his release, making him available for Roanne.
Zoran Cvjetkovic, Roanne’s Sporting Director, commented on the new signing: “This is not a direct replacement for Jahvon Blair; we all recognize his importance and what he represents for our team. Replacing a player of his caliber is simply impossible at this point in the season. Our intention was rather to bring in a different profile to strengthen our rotation for this final stretch. We chose Latrell Reid, a combo guard who will offer an additional option, particularly through his defensive intensity and his court vision, which gives him excellent passing ability. The objective was not to disrupt our established balance. We have a strong, performing team in place. The idea is simply to add a piece that naturally integrates into the group and helps us achieve our goal.”
