U-BT Cluj-Napoca have signed Luca Illes on loan from Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade for the 2026-27 season.
The 19-year-old guard, who stands 1.95m tall, spent last season with KK Metalac Valjevo, averaging 6.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 18 minutes per game across 30 Serbian League appearances.
Unul dintre cei mai promițători tineri din baschetul românesc ❤️🔥 Crescut la Partizan Belgrad și chemat de Željko Obradović la antrenamentele primei echipe încă de la 17 ani.
Luca Illeș vine la Cluj! 🏳️🏴 pic.twitter.com/oDnTwYwVPw
— U-BT Cluj-Napoca (@UBTCluj) August 16, 2026
Growing through the Partizan academy
Illes began his career in Romania with CSS Bega Timisoara and ACS Transilvania before joining the Partizan academy in 2021 at just 14 years old.
He spent three and a half years in Partizan’s youth system and captained the club’s U17 team to the 2024 national championship.
Illes was named MVP and top scorer of the finals, averaging an impressive 23.7 points per game.
Obradovic gave him his first-team opportunity
In the 2024-25 season, Zeljko Obradovic called Illes up to train with Partizan’s first team.
He subsequently signed a four-year professional contract with the Serbian club.
In January 2025, Illes joined Mega Basket on loan for the remainder of the season and also competed in the adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals in Abu Dhabi.
A key contributor for Romania U20
Illes has represented Romania at both the U16 and U20 levels.
Most recently, he played at the U20 European Championship in Slovenia, where he led Romania in rebounding with 6.6 rebounds per game and finished second on the team in scoring at 10.6 points per game.
Silvasan: “He is a talented player and a hard worker”
Cluj-Napoca head coach Mihai Silvasan welcomed the arrival of the young Romanian:
“He is a talented Romanian player who has spent the last few years in Serbia. Essentially, he grew up at Partizan Belgrade and is their player. I’m happy that he decided to join us.”
Silvasan also stressed the importance of the move for Illes’ development:
“He is a player who must establish himself first and foremost, but from everything I know about him, he is a very good person and a hard worker.”
Regarding his new roster, Silvasan added:
“I am very pleased with the roster we have assembled, and we can’t wait to truly get started with the work and begin playing games.”
Source: EuroLeague Basketball
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