Rostislav Novitsky, center for the Ukraine national basketball team, has officially changed clubs and signed a contract with Bucharest's Dinamo for the 2026/27 season. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the official announcement from the Romanian club's press office. For the 25-year-old big man, the move to Romania marks a new stage in his career after several seasons spent in Latvia and a long recovery from an injury that effectively kept him out for the remainder of the previous season.
Move to Romanian Dinamo
The signing with Bucharest's Dinamo has been confirmed through the club's official channels, making the transfer a documented fact rather than a rumor. Novitsky is joining a team where another Ukrainian center, Vyacheslav Bobrov, played last season before recently moving to the Polish league. Thus, the Romanian club retains its Ukrainian "school" under the basket, simply swapping the player at the big man position, which may ease the newcomer's adaptation and preserve the team's familiar style of play in defense and on the boards.
The Latvian Chapter and a Frustrating Injury
Novitsky spent the last few years in Latvia, playing for Valmiera and VEF Riga. It was with Valmiera that he became the leading blocker in the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League (LEBL), cementing his reputation as a reliable rim protector. However, in December, during a warm-up before a game, the center suffered a leg injury that kept him out for the rest of the season. Before the injury, he had played 16 games, posting impressive numbers: 17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and a 70.5% field goal percentage in an average of 23 minutes on the court — figures that confirm the injury interrupted a productive stretch of his career.
Recovery and Readiness for the Qualification Window
As of now, the 25-year-old basketball player has fully recovered from his injury and is with the Ukraine national team. The team is preparing for the next "window" of the 2027 World Cup qualifiers, in which Ukraine is set to face Greece and Montenegro. The fact that Novitsky is present at the national team camp and physically ready is an important signal for his new club: Romanian Dinamo is getting a player who has not only completed his rehabilitation but continues to work at the national team level, reducing the risks associated with his recent leg injury.
Rotation of Ukrainian Big Men in Europe
Novitsky's transfer to Bucharest fits into a broader context of Ukrainian centers moving across European leagues: Bobrov left the Romanian club for Poland, while Novitsky, in turn, swapped Latvia for Romania. Meanwhile, it was reported that the Latvian club re-signed a Ukrainian national team guard despite his injury, indicating sustained interest from European teams in Ukrainian players. For Novitsky himself, the new challenge at Dinamo is an opportunity to establish himself in a strong league and continue his development after an injury-plagued season, while keeping his place in the national team squad during the preparation for the 2027 World Cup.
