Once Crvena zvezda had completed most of its work on the perimeter, there was little reason to go back to the market for another player who needed a heavy share of the ball and the offense running through him. What the roster still needed was someone who could round out the backcourt and bring something the others did not.
That is why Nick Weiler-Babb’s signing could carry more weight than his numbers will show at first glance. Crvena zvezda spent the summer looking for a guard who could create for teammates and take some of the playmaking burden off the rest of the backcourt. The way the market developed gave the club a chance to land a much broader player than that original description suggested.
Jared Butler is expected to be one of the primary creators. Tyson Carter and David Kramer bring shooting, off-ball movement and the ability to punish a defensive mistake before it can be corrected, while Chris Jones has enough versatility to influence the game at both ends. What that group lacked was a player capable of connecting those different profiles, taking over the offense for stretches and raising the defensive level without requiring the rest of the lineup to bend around his game.
Herbert Showed There Was More Than Defense
Gordon Herbert’s time with Weiler-Babb at Bayern probably provided the best evidence of why it would be a mistake to view him simply as a defensive specialist. The American-born German international spent years moving between roles and positions, playing as a two and a three and, at certain points in his career, even sliding up against much bigger players when his team needed it. Herbert put the ball back in his hands and gave him real responsibility as an organizer. The idea was never to turn him into a point guard who would dominate possession, Herbert wanted a player who understood the rhythm of a game, kept things organized and did not crowd the space of teammates with greater scoring talent. Weiler-Babb was at his best in that setup.
The game against Monaco early in 2025 remains one of the better examples. Weiler-Babb had 18 points, six assists and three steals, then drew Mike James on the final possession. Monaco never managed to get a shot off through the player who usually has the ball in those moments precisely because he is so good at finding one. Herbert said afterward that Bayern had problems at both ends whenever Weiler-Babb was off the floor and called him the best all-around player in Germany. That was about quite a bit more than ball pressure.
A Guard Who Can Absorb Responsibilities
That kind of player can be especially useful to Crvena zvezda once the EuroLeague schedule starts putting real strain on the roster. Weiler-Babb does not have to alter the hierarchy of the backcourt, his job should be to absorb some of the responsibilities that allow everyone else to spend more time in the areas where they are most dangerous.
His defense goes well beyond steals, even though he led the EuroLeague in that category. The more useful part is the variety of assignments he can survive. He has enough length to bother bigger guards, enough strength that teams cannot casually hunt him on switches and enough discipline to stay within a possession rather than gamble for the spectacular play. He can pick up high, work through screens and remain attached to the action until it is finished. With a guard like that available, Ibon Navarro has much more freedom in deciding where to place the rest of his defenders, particularly on a roster with several players whose greatest value will naturally come on offense.
Defense Became the Foundation of His Career
Defense became part of Weiler-Babb’s identity long before the EuroLeague award arrived. He has talked about his father telling him when he was younger that defense would keep him on the court, especially when he did not have the physical advantages of some of the players around him. Andrea Trinchieri later demanded even more from him at Bayern. Over time, something that began as a way to earn minutes became the reason coaches trusted him with the toughest matchup on the floor. Herbert then expanded the role and showed that a player with that kind of defensive identity could also carry meaningful responsibility once the ball crossed half court.
Motley and Izundu Should Benefit From His Reads
He should have plenty to work with in Crvena zvezda’s frontcourt as well. Johnathan Motley can create a lot on his own, but there is still a major difference between asking him to begin a possession six or seven meters from the basket and fight his way into position, and getting him the ball deeper while the defense is already shifting. Weiler-Babb is not the kind of passer who turns every pick-and-roll into a highlight, but he reads the big man’s movement well and usually gets rid of the ball before the defense has enough time to recover.
The connection with Ebuka Izundu could be even more dependent on that timing. Motley has several ways to manufacture his own offense, and Izundu needs the guard to bring him into the possession much more often. His vertical game, his roll after the screen and his finishing around the rim only become useful if the pass arrives while the opening is still there. Weiler-Babb has shown that he understands those windows, and there is one example Crvena zvezda probably remembers better than most. In the 2025 EuroLeague play-in game, he found Devin Booker in overtime with a long overhead pass from a difficult position, sending the ball almost the entire length of the court. One pass does not define a playmaker, but it did show how quickly he spotted his big man and how comfortable he was attacking before the defense could get set.
Rebounding Can Start the Break Immediately
His rebounding matters for the same reason. In the season when he was named the EuroLeague’s best defender, Weiler-Babb was also the competition’s best rebounder among guards. When he finishes a defensive possession himself, Zvezda does not need an extra outlet pass just to begin the break. He can take the ball and go, which saves a few seconds and allows the offense to attack before all five defenders are back in position.
His Shooting Depends on the Quality of the Looks
There is no reason to pretend Weiler-Babb is an elite shooter. He is a career 36.6 percent three-point shooter, good enough that he cannot simply be ignored but not dangerous enough to prevent defenses from occasionally testing him with open looks while protecting against more threatening creators. His period under Herbert also showed how dependent that part of his game can be on the players around him. With Carsen Edwards, Andreas Obst and others forcing defenses into rotations and drawing extra attention, Weiler-Babb spent portions of the season above 40 percent from three. His shot had not suddenly changed. The quality of the shots had.
He should find some of the same circumstances in Belgrade alongside Butler, Carter, Kramer, Jordan Nwora and the rest of the roster. His season with Efes is also worth noting because the player Herbert unlocked in Munich did not disappear once he changed teams. Weiler-Babb remained close to five assists per game in the EuroLeague, continued to rank among the better guards in the competition at creating steals and maintained a role that asked him to contribute in several areas within a different system. Zvezda is getting an established EuroLeague guard who has spent several years showing that his usefulness does not depend on one coach or one particular lineup.
Teodosic’s Sporting Department Stayed Out of the Noise
The way the transfer came together also says something about the sporting department now led by Milos Teodosić. Weiler-Babb had already been announced by ASVEL at the beginning of July before the French club’s financial problems changed its plans and put him back on the market. Dubai was mentioned repeatedly and for a while appeared to be a likely destination, while Crvena zvezda spent weeks away from the center of the speculation. By the time the club’s name seriously entered the conversation, the deal was essentially done.
Weiler-Babb will not solve every problem this new team eventually runs into, and no player of his profile could. What makes the signing encouraging is that there is very little mystery about why he was brought in. His game fits around the players Crvena zvezda already has, gives Navarro more options on both ends and fills several needs without creating another one somewhere else.
That is where much of the value of the signing lies.
