Real Madrid continued reshaping its frontcourt on Tuesday by signing Spanish forward Jaime Pradilla to a five-year contract through 2031 after acquiring him from domestic rival Valencia Basket. The move reunites Pradilla with head coach Pedro Martinez, who also left Valencia for Madrid earlier this offseason.
Pradilla arrives following the best campaign of his professional career. The 25-year-old helped Valencia reach its first EuroLeague Final Four while averaging 6.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and shooting 64.1% on two-point attempts across 44 EuroLeague appearances. Although Valencia lost 105-90 to Real Madrid in the semifinal, Pradilla delivered one of his strongest performances of the season with 15 points and eight rebounds against his future club.
The signing strengthens a Real Madrid frontcourt that underwent significant changes this summer. Former NBA forward Trey Lyles, the club’s leading scorer in EuroLeague play at 13.5 points per game, departed after one season to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Martinez also replaced Sergio Scariolo after just one year in charge, making Pradilla one of the first major additions of the new coaching era.
While Pradilla is unlikely to replace Lyles’ offensive production by himself, he provides versatility, rebounding and familiarity with Martinez’s system. Real Madrid already boasts one of the EuroLeague’s deepest frontcourts, led by Edy Tavares, who averaged 9.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while shooting 68.9% from the field last season. Mario Hezonja contributed 13.3 points and 4.0 rebounds, while Usman Garuba and Chuma Okeke added valuable defensive depth.
Real Madrid finished third in the 2025-26 EuroLeague regular season with a 24-14 record before defeating Hapoel Tel Aviv 3-1 in the quarterfinals. The club then eliminated Valencia 105-90 in the Final Four before falling 92-85 to Olympiacos in the championship game, finishing one victory short of another European title.
Pradilla also enjoyed tremendous domestic success during his final season with Valencia. He opened the year by helping the club capture its first Spanish Super Cup, defeating Real Madrid in the final, and ended the campaign by winning the Spanish League championship after Valencia defeated FC Barcelona in the Finals. The title was only the second Liga ACB championship in Valencia’s history.
His six-year stint with Valencia established him among the club’s most accomplished EuroLeague players. Pradilla appeared in 122 EuroLeague games, ranking second in franchise history, while also finishing sixth in scoring with 568 points and second in rebounds with 368.
Internationally, Pradilla has become a fixture for Spain. He won gold at EuroBasket 2022, represented his country at the 2024 Olympic Games and EuroBasket 2025, and previously captured gold medals at the 2016 FIBA U16 European Championship and the 2019 FIBA U18 European Championship.
