It was obvious by the end of last season, and through the early part of the summer as the Lakers built their NBA roster that 22-year-old prospect Nick Smith Jr. was not going to be able to find a spot with the team. Smith, a first-round pick of the Hornets in 2023, appeared in 30 games for the Lakers last year, averaging 6.2 points and making 39.5% of his 3-pointers, but he is undersized to be a 2-guard in the NBA, at 6-foot-2, and so his ceiling was limited.
The Lakers had him on a two-way deal that was converted in April. But even after a solid run with the G League contingent, including 19.7 points per game and 5.6 assists in 15 games, the Lakers still wanted to move on, and there were no other takers this summer. Last week, it was first reported that Smith would be heading overseas–to Real Madrid in Spain.
Nick Smith Now Officially With Real Madrid
There was still a window there in which another NBA team might have come in with a training camp offer for Smith, but that did not materialize. On Wednesday, his deal with Real Madrid became official, announced in a press release.
The release, translated from Spanish, read: “Real Madrid C.F. and Nick Smith Jr. have reached an agreement for him to play for Real Madrid through the end of the 2026–2027 season.
At 22 years old, Nick Smith Jr. brings three seasons of experience and 147 games played in the NBA, having suited up for the Charlotte Hornets and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Terms of contracts in Europe are not typically released. Smith earned $636,000 on his two-way deal last season.
Memorable Game for Lakers
Assuming Smith does not come back to the Lakers down the road, he will be best remembered for a brilliant 25-point performance against the Blazers back in early November, when he went for 25 points, including 17 in the second half. That was with both Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic out of the game because of injuries.
Coach JJ Redick, memorably, revealed that Smith had vomited at halftime.
“Nick Smith in the second half, he just took the game over,” Redick told reporters after the game. “We needed his handle and we needed his wiggle tonight. Truthfully it was a perfect game for him.”
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