Dubai Basketball has strengthened its backcourt by signing French guard Elie Okobo to a multi-year contract, the club announced on Friday. The 28-year-old arrives after four successful seasons with AS Monaco, where he established himself as one of the EuroLeague’s premier offensive guards while helping the club become a perennial contender.
Okobo joins Dubai following another productive campaign in which Monaco reached the EuroLeague playoffs for a fourth consecutive season. He averaged 11.2 points and a career-best 4.9 assists across 42 EuroLeague appearances, providing an efficient scoring and playmaking combination for a team that finished eighth in the regular season with a 22-16 record before falling to Olympiacos in the playoff quarterfinals.
His domestic production was even stronger. Okobo ranked fifth in the French League in scoring at 17.0 points per game while adding 4.5 assists, leading Monaco to a clean sweep of domestic trophies by winning the French League, French Cup, French Leaders Cup and French Super Cup.
The signing gives new head coach Xavi Pascual another proven creator as Dubai continues reshaping its roster for its third EuroLeague campaign. The club has already added forward Jaron Blossomgame while parting ways with Nate Mason, Bruno Caboclo, Taran Armstrong, Matt Ryan and Boogie Ellis. Serbian guard Aleksa Avramovic has also departed on loan.
Okobo fills an important need for additional shot creation alongside last season’s core. Dubai finished its second EuroLeague season with a 19-19 record, narrowly missing the play-in tournament after placing 11th in the standings. McKinley Wright IV led the team with 6.1 assists per game, while Dwayne Bacon averaged a team-high 16.2 points. Okobo’s ability to operate both on and off the ball should complement that backcourt while giving Pascual another reliable pick-and-roll initiator.
The French international has been remarkably consistent since returning to Europe. After averaging 14.5 points in his EuroLeague debut season with ASVEL in 2021-22, he produced EuroLeague scoring averages of 12.8, 10.8, 13.1 and 11.5 points during his four years with Monaco while steadily improving as a facilitator. His 5.1 assists per game in 2025-26 represented the highest mark of his EuroLeague career.
Before returning to France, Okobo spent two seasons with the Phoenix Suns after being selected in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft. He appeared in 108 NBA games, averaging 4.8 points, and also saw action with the Northern Arizona Suns in the G League. He later played for the Long Island Nets before reviving his career in France with ASVEL and subsequently Monaco.
Known for his explosive first step, creative ball handling and ability to score from all three levels, Okobo has developed into one of Europe’s most difficult guards to defend. His combination of perimeter shooting, mid-range scoring and passing vision has made him especially effective in pick-and-roll situations throughout his EuroLeague career.
