Former NBA first-round decide Usman Garuba has joined Actual Madrid on a three-year contract, the Spanish workforce introduced in a press launch.
The transfer had lengthy been anticipated. Reporting in Might indicated that Garuba was anticipated to signal with Actual Madrid this offseason, however he responded by saying he had but to decide. In mid-July, Spanish reporter Carlos Sanchez Blas (Twitter
hyperlinks) mentioned that the free agent had a long-term deal in place with Madrid, and that point Garuba didn’t deny it, so we’ve simply been awaiting formal affirmation from the workforce.
The twenty third total decide within the 2021 draft, Garuba was born and raised in Madrid and was underneath contract together with his hometown workforce from 2017-21, so this represents a reunion for the 2 sides. He performed within the NBA for 3 seasons from 2021-24, showing in 99 video games throughout two seasons in Houston earlier than being traded to Atlanta after which to Oklahoma Metropolis throughout the 2023 offseason.
After he was waived by the Thunder, Garuba caught on with the Warriors, spending many of the 2023-24 season on a two-way contract earlier than being promoted to Golden State’s commonplace roster forward of the workforce’s common season finale. He performed in simply six common season contests for the Warriors.
Garuba’s total contributions throughout 105 NBA outings (three begins) have been modest. He averaged 2.6 factors, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 11.7 minutes per evening, making 46.7% of his pictures from the ground (together with 36.3% of his three-pointers). The large man additionally performed a restricted position for Spain on this yr’s Olympics, averaging 13.4 MPG off the bench for the nationwide workforce.
The 22-year-old figures to see extra vital motion in Madrid, the place he’ll workforce up with fellow newcomer
Serge Ibaka within the membership’s new-look frontcourt that can reportedly now not function
Guerschon Yabusele.
Actual Madrid is coming off a season by which it went 28-6 in Spanish League (ACB) play and 27-7 towards EuroLeague competitors. Madrid gained the ACB title and almost achieved the feat within the EuroLeague as nicely, however fell to Panathinaikos within the championship recreation.
