Former NBA Champion Damian Jones Nears Deal With Real Madrid Basketball

Real Madrid is reportedly close to signing former NBA champion Damian Jones, a 31-year-old center standing 2.13 meters tall. Jones, who has played 279 NBA games for teams including the Warriors, Hawks, Suns, Lakers, Kings, Jazz, and Cavaliers, is in advanced negotiations to join the Spanish club, potentially marking his first career move to Europe. Over his NBA career, he averaged 4.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 14 minutes per game and was part of the Warriors' 2017 and 2018 championship teams. In recent years, Jones played outside the U.S., including a season in Puerto Rico where he averaged 13 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game, and two seasons in China prior to that.

Alongside Jones, Real Madrid is expected to sign Ukrainian guard Max Shluga, who posted averages of 15.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.7 assists last season in Boston's G League. In other EuroLeague moves, Josh Nebo officially left Olimpia Milano and is set to join Barcelona, while Moses Wright will move in the opposite direction. Olympiacos has offered $3 million for San Antonio Spurs forward David Jones Garcia, who showed strong stats in the NBA G League despite limited NBA impact.

In coaching news, Xavi Pascual signed with Dubai Basketball Club, which has strengthened its roster over the summer but lost key player Alpha Diallo, who is heading to the Denver Nuggets. The EuroLeague transfer market remains active with multiple significant player and coach movements across Europe.