Omer Yurtseven is looking to strengthen his case for another NBA contract by heading overseas, having appeared in nine games for the Golden State Warriors towards the end of this season.
According to BasketNews, Yurtseven is signing with Real Madrid to finish their ACB season, marking the second time the center will have played in Europe recently after only recently departing Greek team Panathinaikos.
Former Warriors center Omer Yurtseven reportedly signing in Spain
Yurtseven left Panathinaikos and returned to the G League to play with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, only for the Warriors to come calling after a three-game stint, the last of which saw him drop 36 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.
The Turkish big man signed a pair of 10-day contracts with Golden State, averaging 3.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11.6 minutes as the franchise dealt with a spate of injury issues and particularly to their center rotation.
Yurtseven's best game actually came in his final game with the Warriors, recording 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor in 29 minutes during a 127-113 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Golden State replaced Yurtseven with fifth-year center Charles Bassey who delivered instant impact, producing a pair of double-doubles against the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers, before going for an equal career-high 16 points against the L.A. Clippers in the regular season finale.
Bassey's impact far outweighed that of Yurtseven, essentially ending any hope the latter may have had of returning to the Warriors next season. However, he could use this stint with Real Madrid to appeal to other NBA teams, having previously played with the Miami Heat and Utah Jazz.
Omer Yurtseven joins another former Warrior at Real Madrid
Yurtseven's move to Real Madrid stems from injuries to their center rotation, leaving another former Warrior, Usman Garuba, as their only available regular big man. Garuba, a former first-round pick of the Houston Rockets, has played the last two seasons back in his home country after departing the Warriors in 2024, but has played a limited role in averaging less than 14 minutes per game.
Garuba was on a two-way contract with Golden State during the 2023-24 season, yet appeared in only 18 minutes across six games at the franchise where he failed to make his mark and extend his NBA career.
Yurtseven will be hoping he doesn't suffer the same fate, though his lack of impact at the Warriors means he might be up against it to return to the NBA on another contract.
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