Kyle Singler was one of the better American players to play in Europe during the NBA lockout as the Duke Blue Devils rookie averaged 15 points and led his club to a 6-3 record in the ultra-competitive Spanish league. The Detroit Pistons second round pick has apparently decided to stay in Spain even now that the lockout is over, however, as he's reportedly on the verge of signing with Real Madrid.
Singler will sign a $900,000 contract with the top Spanish club as a replacement for fellow NBA player Rudy Fernandez, according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski reports that "a combination of his comfort level in Spain and a salary higher than that of most second-round draft picks convinced him to finish the season there."
For comparison's sake, last season's 33rd overall pick -- Hassan Whiteside of the Sacramento Kings -- played for $730,437 during his rookie season. The majority of European contracts are tax-free, too, only helping that argument.
With Real Madrid, Singler will join a team that includes fellow American Jaycee Carroll, former NBA players Sergio Rodriguez and NBA draft picks Ante Tomic and Sergio Llull. The team is tied for first in the ACB with an 8-1 record.