Warriors 2x Champion Center Joins New Team In Surprise Career Move
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Warriors 2x Champion Center Joins New Team In Surprise Career Move
TARRYTOWN, NEW YORK - AUGUST 07: Damian Jones #15 of the Golden State Warriors poses for a portrait during the 2016 NBA Rookie Photoshoot at Madison Square Garden Training Center on August 7, 2016 in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images) Getty
Eli Gregorski·HEAVY
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4 min read
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TORONTO, ONTARIO - MAY 30: Damian Jones #15 of the Golden State Warriors warms up before Game One of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on May 30, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Damian Jones, former first-round pick and two-time NBA champion of theGolden State Warriors, is joining Real Madrid to play in Europe next season.
Jones, who also spent time on a few other teams after winning titles with the Warriors, hasn't played in the NBA since the 2023-24 season and is most recently coming off another championship run in the Puerto Rican basketball league.
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Golden State drafted the center with the 30th pick of the 2016 NBA Draft, and he now joins a loaded Real Madrid roster for the upcoming 2026-27 EuroLeague season.
Ex-Warriors Champion Center Joins Real Madrid
After seeing success playing outside the NBA, Jones is heading to one of the top teams in Europe, as the club announced the signing of the former first-round pick.
Real Madrid CF and Damian Jones have reached an agreement whereby the center will be a Real Madrid player until the end of the 2026-2027 season,"the team announced. "Damian Jones arrives at Real Madrid from the BayamónCowboys, a club with which he has just been proclaimed champion of the Puerto Rico League."
Real Madrid has been busy this summer adding talent, and Jones now joinsa loaded frontcourt, but he will likely be the team's starting center for the upcoming year after agreeing to a one-year contract.
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According to the team's official website, Jones passed his medical checkup in Madrid and has now officially signed with the Spanish superpower.
"Damian Jones visited the Sanitas La Moraleja University Hospital, where he successfully passed the medical check-up prior to his signing with Real Madrid,"the team wrote, translated into English.
Jones is now one of a few notable former NBA players on this Real Madrid team, as alongside him,Facundo Campazzo,Max Shulga, Theo Maledon, and a few others have played recent stints in the United States.
Damian Jones In The NBA
GettyTORONTO, ONTARIO – MAY 30: Damian Jones #15 of the Golden State Warriors warms up before Game One of the 2019 NBA Finals against theToronto Raptorsat Scotiabank Arena on May 30, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
As mentioned, Jones was drafted 30th overall by the Warriors in 2016 after playing three seasons with the Vanderbilt Commodores in the collegiate ranks.
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He played a total of 25 games through his first two seasons with Golden State, putting up a combined 1.8 points on 50% shooting. Jones then saw more action in the 2018-19 season, appearing in 24 games and starting in 22 of them, putting up 5.4 points and 3.1 rebounds on 71.6% shooting.
The center then joined theAtlanta Hawksas a backup big man in 2019-20, putting up numbers similar to his last year with the Warriors.
Jones' final season in the NBA came in 2023-24 with theCleveland Cavaliers, where he played in 39 games, averaging 2.7 points and 1.6 rebounds on 59.6% shooting.
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While Jones is a two-time champion, he never found his footing in the NBA.
However, the center is now headed to join one of the most famous sporting organizations in the world, fresh off a title in Puerto Rico. At the same time, his old team, the Golden State Warriors, continue to deal with an uncertain future surrounding franchise superstarStephen Curryin the final years of his career.
