It's been eight years since Trey Lyles played for the Utah Jazz. There are two things Jazz fans remember Lyles best for: being the guy who got them Donovan Mitchell in 2017, and being notoriously harsh on Utah. Lyles has carved out a niche for himself in the NBA, but has continued his professional basketball career overseas.
Encestando's Javier Maestro was the first to report that Lyles will play for European powerhouse Real Madrid.
Real Madrid pens an agreement with Trey Lyles, I was confirmed.
— www.encestando.es (@webEncestando) September 4, 2025
El Real Madrid tiene a punto a Trey Lyles como último fichaje https://t.co/ZbRugNTEzd
Lyles will be joining a roster full of former NBA players, including Mario Hezonja (who was in Lyles' draft class), Facundo Campazzo, Bruno Fernando, Usman Garuba, Edy Tavares, and Theo Maledon.
ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel also confirmed that Lyles had offers to stay in the NBA, but chose Real Madrid because they offered more money.
Recent Kings big man and 10-year veteran Trey Lyles is heading overseas to Real Madrid in Spain, league sources told @ClutchPoints.
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) September 4, 2025
Lyles was an option for some teams on a minimum contract, but opts for a lucrative contract overseas.
First reported by @Urbodo.
It was rather surprising that Lyles went unsigned for most of the contract, as he has proven himself as a stretch big in a league that values that kind of player now more than ever. However, Lyles is only a rotation player, and it's not like big men who can space the floor are an irreplaceable ingredient. Plus, Lyles had the opportunity to make more money and play with NBA alumni.
Hence, he made what was a pretty rationale decision.
Lyles leaves the NBA with a bad reputation in Utah
He spent only two years in Utah, but many are quite aware of his disdain for his time in the state and with the Jazz. He didn't like Quin Snyder's practices, he listed Utah among the worst basketball cities, and it doesn't end there. He left nothing to interpretation: he was not a fan of Utah at all.
It was a victory in and of itself to get him off the team, but to get one of the best players in franchise history made it only better.
All in all, it ultimately worked out. Love him or hate him, the Jazz would have never had the Mitchell era commence had it not been for Lyles. He helped orchestrate what turned out to be one of the most lopsided trades in the last decade.
Both sides ultimately achieved what they wanted in the end. Utah had an unexpectedly fun era from 2017 to 2022, while Lyles got to become an NBA journeyman, as his NBA career spanned a decade. Now he gets to continue his professional basketball careers overseas about as far away from Utah as possible.
In the end, that's what he wanted, and if it's any consolation, the feeling was mutual on Utah's end.