Real Madrid, the Spanish basketball powerhouse, has officially announced the signing of former NBA center Ömer Yurtseven. The Turkish player, now 27, will be available for the team’s domestic Spanish league matches, but due to registration rules, he will not be eligible to play in EuroLeague games.

The news of the deal was first reported by Donatas Urbona from BasketNews. Yurtseven, who began the season with Panathinaikos, spent the remainder of the year in NBA G League and with the Golden State Warriors. In nine games for the Warriors, he averaged 3.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 12 minutes of play.

The transfer is driven by the Madrid team's need to strengthen their roster due to the loss of two centers, Eidi Tavares and Alex Len. This leaves Usman Garuba as the only remaining center option for coach Sergio Scariolo.

The acquisition of Yurtseven is expected to provide much-needed depth and experience to Real Madrid's frontline as they push towards the end of the season.