Former Wisconsin guard Max Klesmit has found his first overseas home, signing with Kangoeroes Basket Mechelen in Belgium’s BNXT League. It’s a solid landing spot on paper, but the timing gives the move a strange little twist: Belgium is about to be front and center for American sports fans because of the World Cup.
The United States is set to face Belgium on July 6 in Seattle, with the Americans trying to move on from the round of 16. Under normal circumstances, Klesmit’s new destination would probably land as a simple “good for him” note. Instead, it arrives with a built-in joke - the kind that will stick with him as his career gets rolling overseas.
Mechelen made clear it likes what it’s getting. In announcing the move, the club pointed to Klesmit’s work at Wisconsin and his time last season with the Salt Lake City Stars in the NBA G League.
“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.”
The BNXT League includes multiple professional levels, and Kangoeroes Basket Mechelen is in the top tier. The club won a championship in 2025 but did not make the finals last season. Last year’s roster included three Americans, with former Georgia Tech guard Josh Heath the most notable among them.
For Klesmit, the move looks like a much better opportunity than what he had in the G League. The source material says the Salt Lake City Stars weren’t giving him minutes, and his playing time there was extremely limited. That made an overseas chance feel like the cleanest path to show what he can do after Wisconsin.
And while the Belgium-World Cup overlap will make for a funny anecdote down the line, the bigger picture is straightforward: Klesmit has a real chance to carve out a role and maybe become one of the better players on his new team.
Another former Badger, Steven Crowl, could also end up overseas. He was with Klesmit on the Salt Lake City Stars, but he has not signed with another NBA team yet. He could still land an Exhibit-10 or Summer League deal, though nothing has been announced, and his agent may also be exploring overseas options.
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