Warriors big man officially departs NBA for return to childhood franchise

After months of reporting that suggested it a mere formality, Usman Garuba has officially departed the Golden State Warriors and the NBA to return home to Spain.

Garuba has signed a three-year deal with Real Madrid, according to the team on Tuesday. The 22-year-old had previously risen through the junior ranks with Real Madrid to become part of their professional program, before being taken with the 23rd pick of the 2021 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets.

Usman Garuba departs the NBA for now having played 105 career games, including six with the Golden State Warriors last season

Reports of Garuba's move back to Real Madrid emerged in late May, but the 6'8" big man moved to quash confirmation by stating in a now-deleted post on X/Twitter, "my future is not decide yet so stop spreading fake news. We keep working."

Garuba represented Spain at the recent Paris Olympics, but he recorded just five points across three games in a limited role before his team was eliminated by the end of the group stage.

Garuba departs the NBA having appeared in 105 games across three years, including only six with Golden State in his lone season with the franchise. He appeared in 75 games during the 2022-23 season with the Rockets, but was traded to, then waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder last offseason.

That allowed the Warriors the opportunity to sign Garuba to a two-way contract where he spent the majority of the season in the G League, having only garnered 18 garbage time minutes with the main squad.

Garuba averaged 10.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.6 blocks with Santa Cruz. His final game in the G League playoffs saw the Spaniard record a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double, but it wasn't enough as the Warriors were eliminated by the Stockton Kings in the Western Conference semifinals.

As a member of the Rockets, Garuba had a career-high 12 points in a game against the Dallas Mavericks in November 2022, and a career-high 14 rebounds against the Sacramento Kings in April earlier that year.