Nick Smith Jr. Leaves Lakers for Real Madrid, Ends NBA Run for Now
The 22-year-old guard takes a one-year Euroleague deal after LA declined his $2.5M option — a name off every waiver board.
He's playing in Spain next year — zero NBA fantasy value in 2026-27.
- Lakers declined Smith's $2.5M team option this summer
- Signed one-year deal with Real Madrid (Euroleague)
- Career line: 7.6 PPG in 17.5 MPG across 3 seasons
- Drafted 27th overall by Charlotte in 2023
- Dropped 25 pts, 6 ast vs Portland on Nov. 3
Nick Smith Jr. is taking his game to Europe. The 22-year-old guard has agreed to a one-year deal with Real Madrid, per Hoops Hype, closing the book — at least for now — on his stateside career after the Lakers declined his $2.5 million team option for 2026-27. His Klutch Sports reps handled the deal, and Smith steps into a starring role as Real Madrid's primary guard in the Euroleague.
That's a hard fall from where he started. Charlotte took Smith 27th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, but three seasons split between the Hornets and Lakers produced a modest 7.6 points in 17.5 minutes per game. Never enough to lock down a rotation spot, and now he's chasing minutes overseas instead of a fourth NBA chance.
The Lakers stint had its moments. LA signed him to a two-way in September 2025 after Charlotte waived him, then converted the deal to a standard contract in April 2026 to make him playoff-eligible when injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves thinned out the backcourt. His high-water mark came Nov. 3 against Portland — 25 points and six assists in a win — but flashes like that were the exception, not the rule.
What It Means for the Lakers Backcourt
For fantasy purposes, Smith leaving doesn't move the needle much on the guys who matter. Doncic remains an every-week centerpiece — he was our No. 2 overall player last season (2025-26) with 57.5 fantasy points per game across 64 games. Reaves ranked No. 39 overall (No. 19 at his position) with 38.7 fantasy points per game over 51 games in 2025-26. Neither leaned on Smith for touches, and his departure just tidies up the depth chart behind them.
The one real takeaway: LA has a backcourt bench spot to fill, and whoever grabs those minutes becomes a deep-league name to track once camp opens. Smith couldn't turn spot duty into steady value, and that's the whole story of his tenure.
The Fantasy Verdict
Simple call here. Smith was never rosterable in standard leagues, and now he's off the board entirely — he'll be in Spain, not on an NBA floor. If you were stashing him in a dynasty or deep keeper format on the hope of a bounce-back, cut him loose. Drop and reallocate the roster spot to a Lakers reserve who might actually inherit those backup guard minutes.
