Madrid accelerates the market: Shulga seeks an exit and Smith Jr. raises concerns

Real Madrid has accelerated its activity in the transfer market during these first weeks of competition. According to Javier Maestro in Encestando, the club's management is looking for a perimeter reinforcement due to a combination of factors that has generated instability in the squad: the likely departure of Max Shulga, the long injury of Gabriel Deck, and the poor performance of Nick Smith Jr., the last summer signing who is not meeting initial expectations.

Shulga heading for a loan in the ACB

Ukrainian point guard Max Shulga has not found his place in the structure of the Madrid team. With very few minutes of participation and being one of Pedro Martínez's usual cuts, his adaptation to European basketball is proving to be a slower process than expected. The transition from NCAA and the G League is complicated for the young point guard, who is also facing very demanding competition in his position.

For days now, the club and the player have been in talks about a loan that would allow him to continue growing competitively while gaining minutes on the court. This option is not new: Real Madrid itself considered it in July when he was incorporated into the squad. Shulga, who trained in Spain during his adolescence, counts as a domestic player, which facilitates his departure within national basketball. According to Encestando, he will first be offered to ACB teams before looking for a destination in other European leagues.

In the past season, the Ukrainian point guard averaged 15.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.5 assists with the Maine Celtics in the G League, figures that show his offensive potential when he has continuity and prominence in the game.

Nick Smith Jr., the biggest concern of the project

The case that generates the most concern in the club's management is that of Nick Smith Jr. The American shooting guard arrived at Real Madrid as a personal bet from Pedro Martínez in mid-September, after the coach rejected other options for unsigned players in the NBA during August. He arrived with a one-season contract after averaging around 20 points in the G League and 5.6 points in his 36 games with the Lakers.

His adaptation to Spanish basketball, however, is being slow and worrying. In his four games in the Liga Endesa, Smith Jr. has only converted 17% of his three-point attempts, an alarming figure for a shooting guard who should be a key player on the perimeter. Although Pedro Martínez publicly defended him last week, the coach himself internally considers that the player is very far from what was expected of him, according to information from Encestando.

It is too early to talk about a definitive cut, but the club has already begun conversations about a possible signing to strengthen the shooting guard position. The problem is structural: with Sergio Llull, at 38 years old, out of the EuroLeague rosters, Theo Maledon established as the point guard, and Alberto Abalde in the small forward position, there are only two pure shooting guards left in the squad: Smith and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot. This lack forces the team to seek quick solutions in the market.

The offensive urgency on the perimeter

The need for reinforcement is not capricious. The perimeter is a critical area in Pedro Martínez's scheme, and the current performance of the shooting guards does not provide the guarantees required for an ambitious project. The incorporation of Smith Jr. has not worked as expected, and the departure of Shulga would leave that area of the court even more depleted.

Olivier Sarr, a case without immediate urgency

Another signing that is not performing at the expected level is Olivier Sarr. The French center, who signed a two-season contract after his time in the NBA, is also not convincing in his early performances. However, his case does not generate the same urgency as that of Smith Jr. or the situation with Shulga.

In the frontcourt, Real Madrid has enough options: Jantunen, Pradilla, and Okeke provide depth and alternatives in the center position. This allows the club to take more time in evaluating Sarr without the need to make hasty decisions. Unlike the perimeter, where the shortage is evident, the Madrid paint maintains an acceptable competitive level that does not require immediate intervention in the market.

The coming days will be crucial for defining the direction of the project. The conversations that Real Madrid is having in the transfer market will determine whether the squad achieves the necessary adjustments to compete at the highest level in the Liga Endesa and in European competitions.

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