Former Badger Max Klesmit has signed a professional overseas contract with the Kangoeroes Basket Mechelen. A program that plays in the BNXT League in Belgium and the Netherlands. The Kangoeroes play out of Mechelen, Belgium, and it's Klesmit's first overseas contract. It honestly looks like a great landing spot for him, but it comes with some hilarious World Cup timing.
Right now, across America, Belgium is enemy No. 1 for the World Cup as the US seeks to advance past the round of 16. While normally, Belgium would be mostly a random country in the American mind, and Klesmit's signing would be passed off as a "Good for him" moment. Right now, though, it has some really funny timing. The US vs. Belgium match is on July 6th, and it will be played in Seattle, WA.
The Kangoeroes seem thrilled with the Klesmit addition, especially given his experience at both Wisconsin and in the NBA G-League last season as part of the Salt Lake City Stars. "Our backcourt is being strengthened with the new American acquisition, Max Klesmit. After a strong season at the University of Wisconsin, averaging 11 pts and 2 assists per game, Max made the move to the Salt Lake City Stars in the NBA G League. There, he got the chance to develop at the highest level, close to the NBA."
Max Klesmit naar Kangoeroes Basket Mechelen https://t.co/KAkEbdNgzr#bnxtleague #basketball #basketbal
— 🏀Eric Boorsma🏀 (@ericboorsma) July 2, 2026
Max Klesmit is now part of a Belgium professional league after signing new overseas contract
Related: Projecting Greg Gard's 10-man rotation for Wisconsin basketball next season
The BNXT League has various professional levels to it; the Kangoeroes are playing in the top tier, which is the most competitive. The team picked up a championship in 2025, but failed to reach the finals last season. The team featured three Americans last season, with Josh Heath, a former Georgia Tech player, being the most notable.
It's a much better opportunity for Klesmit than the NBA G-League, as the Salt Lake City Stars weren't giving him any minutes. Even in the G-League, his playing time was drastically low, and it felt like an overseas opportunity would be his best chance to really showcase his skills after Wisconsin.
The US vs. Belgium thing will just be a fun anectodatal moment that Max can talk about as he develops in his career. About how he signed with a Belgium team when all of the United States was rooting against Belgium. But it truly is a great place for him to get some overseas experience and he may end up being one of the best players on his team.
The other former Badger that may end up playing overseas is Steven Crowl. He was with Klesmit on the Salt Lake City Stars, but has yet to sign with another NBA team. He certainly may have another Exhibit-10 or Summer League deal, but it's yet to be announced or revealed. His agent may be shopping his services overseas like Klesmit.
Add us as a preferred source on Google