Luka Doncic reportedly played a role in his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Nick Smith Jr. signing a contract with the Real Madrid basketball team, according to a new report.
Doncic previously played for Real Madrid at a young age before getting drafted in the NBA back in 2018, and now he helped his old teammate, Smith, get a job in Spain.
Smith previously played last year on the Lakers after signing a two-way deal with the team last summer. He left in free agency this offseason to join the European powerhouse in free agency.
Luka Doncic Helped Ex-Lakers Teammate Join Real Madrid
According to new comments made by Real Madrid club basketball director Juan Carlos Sanchez, Doncic gave the recommendation for the team to target Smith and spoke to the former Lakers guard himself.
“We had a lot of help getting him signed,” Sanchez said on Real Madrid TV, via AS.com. “People lent us a hand. Luka Doncic spoke fantastically about him – since the two were teammates with the Los Angeles Lakers – and he also reached out to him directly.”
He continued: “Players ask what Madrid is like – it’s one of the trendiest capitals – but when a star like Luka tells you, ‘Go there, it’s the closest thing to an NBA franchise you’ll find outside the United States, they’re going to treat you well, you’ll learn, you’ll get playing time, and if you want to go back, the market is wide open,’ that helps tremendously.”
Even though Doncic only played a few years with Real Madrid and also started the new Roma SPQR basketball project, he still clearly has ties to his former team.
Negotiations between the former Lakers guard and his new team reportedly took multiple weeks, as Sanchez said it was difficult to land the player.
“I’ll tell you that he was the hardest signing we’ve ever had to pull off,” he added. “We spent no fewer than twenty days insisting to his agents, to him, to his girlfriend… In the end, he made a decision that I think is the right one for both him and us. We’re going to try to enjoy his game and help him unleash all the potential he has inside.”
Nick Smith Jr. In The NBA
Smith was originally drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the 27th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft out of the University of Arkansas.
He spent two seasons with the Hornets, putting up a combined eight points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 11 total games. He also spent time in the G-League during those two years.
Smith then signed a two-way contract with the Lakers last summer. He appeared in 30 games for Los Angeles last year, including one start, with averages of 6.2 points, 0.8 rebounds, and one assist per appearance on 43.5% shooting from the field. He, alongside Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, spent time on the Lakers’ G-League affiliate, seeing higher stats and more individual success compared to his time on an NBA court.
But now, after failing to secure a roster spot for the upcoming season, with the help of Doncic, Smith joined Real Madrid.
His new contract is reportedly for just one year, but according to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype, he’ll be a lead guard for the team.
“Free agent guard Nick Smith Jr. has agreed to a one-year deal with Real Madrid, agents Lucas Newton and Calvin Andrews of Klutch Sports told @hoopshype,” the NBA reporter wrote in a post on X. “He averaged 7.6 points in 17.5 minutes during three NBA seasons with the Hornets and Lakers. He’ll be Real Madrid’s lead guard.”
Doncic, meanwhile, enters his first season as the franchise star for the Lakers, set for a big season as the team’s new leader following the departure of LeBron James.
NBA Superstar Luka Doncic Helped Lakers Teammate Join New Team