Barcelona Signs Center Olek Balcerowski as Real Madrid Nears Deal with NBA Veteran Olivier Sarr

European basketball teams are actively strengthening their rosters ahead of the 2026/2027 EuroLeague season, with the center position becoming increasingly competitive. On July 23, 2026, FC Barcelona officially announced the signing of Polish center Olek Balcerowski, who stands 2.16 meters tall and is 25 years old. Balcerowski returns to the EuroLeague after a three-year hiatus, having spent the last two seasons with Malaga. In the previous season, he averaged 8.8 points per game with impressive shooting percentages (71.2% field goals, 33.3% three-pointers, and 85.7% free throws), along with 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists in the FIBA Champions League. In the Spanish league, his numbers improved to 10.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. He has prior EuroLeague experience with Gran Canaria and Panathinaikos.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid is reportedly close to signing French center Olivier Sarr, aged 27 and 2.08 meters tall. Although undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, Sarr managed to play 50 NBA games with Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 4.7 points and 3.4 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game. After nearly a decade in college basketball, the NBA, and the G League, Sarr is set to join the European competition. These moves highlight the shrinking market for quality centers in Europe, a challenge also faced by Israeli teams Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv, who will need to make strategic acquisitions in this position.