A third Frenchman at Real Madrid!

The lead that had been mentioned for several weeks is now official. Olivier Sarr (2.08 m, 27 years old) joins Real Madrid, with whom he has signed for two seasons, until the end of the 2027-2028 season. The center arrives from the Cleveland Cavaliers and returns to European basketball nine years after leaving the Pôle France to continue his college career in the United States.

In Madrid, the Frenchman joins his compatriots Théo Maledon and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot. He also discovers a club well known to the Sarr family: his brother Alexandre went through Real Madrid’s youth academy between 2019 and 2021.

👏 Welcome, @Sarr_Olivier! 👏 pic.twitter.com/Mdpwh7qngY

— Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) August 15, 2026

Olivier Sarr returns to Europe after nine years in the United States

On July 23, we had already mentioned the agreement between Olivier Sarr and Real Madrid. This has now been confirmed by the Spanish club, which announced a contract covering the next two seasons.

For the French big man, this signing marks a real change of direction. Having left for the United States in 2017 after his time at the Pôle France, the Niort native first joined Wake Forest in the NCAA, before finishing his college career at Kentucky. Undrafted in 2021, he then managed to find his place between the NBA and G-League. Olivier Sarr mainly played within the Oklahoma City organization, before wearing the colors of the Raptors 905 and then Cleveland. He has totaled 50 NBA games between the Thunder and the Cavaliers.

His progress was however brutally interrupted in April 2024 by a ruptured Achilles tendon, suffered during the G-League final. This injury kept him off the court for 539 days before his return to competition.

READ ALSO

Olivier Sarr: a surprise return to Europe, headed to Real Madrid?!

Jul 23, 2026

Alexandre Lacoste

Three Frenchmen at Real Madrid with Sarr, Maledon and Luwawu-Cabarrot

Olivier Sarr will be far from arriving in completely unknown territory. Real Madrid will now have three French players on its roster with Théo Maledon and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot.

The new Madrid center knows Théo Maledon particularly well. The two shared their daily life at the Pôle France between 2015 and 2017, then found themselves reunited a few years later in Oklahoma City. They played 33 games together wearing the Thunder jersey.

Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot completes this significant French contingent assembled by Real Madrid during its summer recruitment. The Spanish club had already confirmed his arrival before Sarr’s. This Friday, the arrival of Ukrainian Max Shulga was also announced, coming from the Boston Celtics.

After Alexandre Sarr, Olivier Sarr also joins Real Madrid

This arrival also has a family dimension. Alexandre Sarr, Olivier’s younger brother, went through Real Madrid’s youth academy during his teenage years, between 2019 and 2021, before continuing his development away from Spain.

Olivier Sarr will now wear the Madrid jersey at the professional level. Mobile for his size, capable of protecting the rim but also of stretching the floor on offense, he brings a different profile to Real’s frontcourt.

After nearly a decade spent between NCAA, G-League and NBA, the Frenchman will thus discover EuroLeague for the first time at 27 years old.

Do you think Olivier Sarr can become an impact player in EuroLeague?