Real Madrid make Nick Smith Jr. signing official
Real Madrid have officially announced the signing of Nick Smith Jr. for the 2026-27 season. The American guard, a free agent after failing to secure an NBA roster spot, has agreed to a deal through the end of the 2026-2027 campaign and has already passed his medical to begin preseason with the club.
The agreement appears on acb.com oficial and was announced by Real Madrid on September 16, when the club confirmed that the player is ready to start preseason with his new team.
Smith Jr. profile
At 22 years old and 6-foot-2, Smith Jr. lands in Liga Endesa after three NBA seasons and 147 games split between the Charlotte Hornets and the Los Angeles Lakers. Selected 27th overall in the 2023 draft by Charlotte, he makes his first move into international basketball after leaving the North American circuit.
The guard fits the profile Madrid had targeted from the start of the market: a perimeter scorer capable of creating his own shot beyond the arc. He arrives as the seventh summer addition to Pedro Martínez project, joining a roster that has undergone a wide rebuild ahead of the new season.
Fit and roster context
Smith Jr. closes a months-long search for an outside scorer and follows the loan of Eli John Ndiaye to Joventut, a move that freed interior depth on the roster. The guard will reinforce backcourt rotation and add perimeter scoring from the bench on a team competing in both Liga Endesa and the EuroLeague.
For the player, the move means starting in Europe with a competitive project. For Madrid, it finalizes a roster that will open the season at the EuroLeague SuperCup in Abu Dhabi against Dubai Basketball.
