Partizan NIS Belgarde bolstered its frontcourt by signing reigning EuroCup champion and two-time All-EuroCup selection Mathias Lessort for the remainder of the season. Lessort (2.06 meters, 26 years old) arrives from Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, where he was signed to a short-term contract as an injury replacement and averaged 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 steal in five Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games this season. This will be Lessort’s second stint in the Serbian capital; he made his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut with Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade during the 2017-18 season and helped the team win the Serbian championship.

Last season, Lessort anchored the AS Monaco frontline with 12.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 23 EuroCup contests to earn a spot on the All-EuroCup First Team. He was named EuroCup Quarterfinals MVP after leading Monaco past Buducnost VOLI Podgorica with 18.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks for an average performance index rating of 24.3 in the three-game series. He made his EuroCup debut with Unicaja Malaga during the 2018-19 season, after which he was named to the All-EuroCup Second Team. A product of the Chalon youth system, he also played for Nanterre in France before heading to Zvezda. Lessort also played for German side FC Bayern Munich in the EuroLeague. As a member of the French national team, Lessort captured a bronze medal at the Basketball World Cup, too.