Recent Sacramento Kings big man Trey Lyles is finalizing a contract with Real Madrid in Spain, league sources told ClutchPoints on Thursday afternoon.
Real Madrid is heavily regarded as one of the top EuroLeague organizations, and they are no strangers to bringing in NBA talent to their club. Not to mention, the Spanish club is also known for producing several top-tier talents, most recently Luka Doncic.
This will be Lyles' first team he's played for outside of the NBA since being drafted 12th overall in 2015.
News of Lyles leaving the NBA for Real Madrid was first reported by Encestando.es, a Spanish news outlet.
In 10 NBA seasons, Lyles averaged 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 44.1 percent from the floor and 34.7 percent from 3-point range. His ability to shoot from the perimeter in pick-and-pop scenarios is what made him a viable secondary option on the Kings' bench over the last few seasons.
With the Kings, Lyles played alongside 2023 EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov.
Lyles played for a total of five NBA teams: the Kings, Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and Utah Jazz. He spent the first two seasons of his career with the Jazz before becoming a key bench talent for the Nuggets.
Multiple NBA teams had inquired about Lyles this offseason and had a level of interest in him on a minimum contract, sources said. The Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and Kings were among those who had Lyles on a long list of offseason targets.
Along with his NBA experience, Lyles brings years of international experience playing for the Canadian national team with him to Real Madrid. Lyles was on Team Canada's roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics, but he only averaged about 11 minutes per game over a four-game span.
Ultimately, Lyles decided to pursue this lucrative opportunity overseas with Real Madrid instead of attempting to pursue a new gig in the NBA.
He will play alongside Facundo Campazzo, Theo Maledon, Chuma Okeke, Mario Hezonja, and Bruno Fernando — all of whom played in the NBA over the last handful of years.
Real Madrid has high EuroLeague title aspirations, and will now have yet another experienced, high-level option to compete for a championship.
