While there are still a few free agents remaining on the market, the offseason craze is over in the NBA. Teams have largely built their rosters for next season, including the Detroit Pistons. At this point in the offseason, it will mostly be veterans signing for minimum contracts and youngsters landing two-way deals. The ones left will head overseas to re-establish their careers.
That is exactly what happened with former Pistons power forward Trey Lyles. After finishing last season with the Sacramento Kings, Lyles became a free agent. Despite some reported interest by the Miami Heat and the Kings, the 29-year-old big man decided to take his talents across the Atlantic Ocean. According to Spanish basketball reporter Javier Maestro, Lyles is signing a one-year, $3 million deal with EuroLeague giants Real Madrid.
Former Piston Trey Lyles Signs With Real Madrid in 1st Overseas Deal
This is a surprising development for the former lottery pick. The Kentucky product had a productive ten-year campaign in the NBA despite never living up to being the 12th-overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. After bouncing around in Utah, Denver, and San Antonio, Lyles ended up with the Pistons in the 2021 offseason. His tenure in Detroit didn't last very long, as he was included in the trade that brought Marvin Bagley to the Pistons.
After leaving Detroit, Lyles found his stride in the NBA and had the best seasons of his career. Playing a crucial run in Sacramento's playoff run in 2023, Lyles made a name for himself as a serviceable stretch big. That is why it caught some NBA watchers by surprise to see him leave the league before turning 30.
How upset Pistons fans are about Lyles no longer being in the NBA is a different question. Lyles has previously received negative attention from the fanbase before signing with the Pistons when he called Detroit a bottom-five city in the NBA.
There has obviously been water under the bridge, and most Pistons fans may not even remember the incident. What will be more interesting to watch will be how the rest of Lyles' career shakes out. He will likely look for a way to return to the NBA following a successful Real Madrid campaign, whether he can achieve that in the second toughest basketball league in the world, however, remains to be seen.