CSKA Moscow newcomer, big man Joel Freeland, will miss the beginning of the TAE season that is about to start due to an injury to his left calf. The club reacted to the situation fast and announced Viacheslav 'Slava' Kravtsov as his temporary replacement. Freeland suffered the injury during the warm-up of a preseason game against Galatasaray Istanbul, Freeland (2.08 meters, 28 years old) was a major reenforcement ovee the summer for CSKA's frontcourt. He previously played in Unicaja Malaga three years in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague before leaving for the NBA.

Kravtsov (2.13 meters, 28 years old) arrives from the Foshan Dralions of China, where he has been playing since 2014. He started his career in 2005 in Kyiv of his native Ukraine, and then played for Donetsk from 2010 to 2012. That same year, he left for the NBA to play with the Detroit Pistons one season and he then moved to Phoenix to play with the Suns, where he played 20 games, averaging 3 minutes per game only. After that he moved to China. He is also a member of the Ukranian national team. Kravtsov will sign a temporary contract with the club that could be renewed depending on Freeland's recovery period.