FC Barcelona has confirmed the signing of Willy Hernangomez on a three-year deal. Hernangomez (2.11 meters, 29 years old) has spent the last seven seasons playing in the NBA, most recently averaging 6.9 points and 4.7 rebounds in 12:05 minutes across 38 games for the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2022-23 campaign. The Spanish center has previous experience of playing in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, having played 17 games – all of which came from the bench – for Real Madrid in the 2012-13 and 2015-16 seasons, posting 3.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and a 4.4 PIR.
Barcelona signs EuroBasket MVP Willy Hernangomez
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Crossing the Real Madrid-Barcelona divide
Hernangomez came through Real's youth academy and made his EuroLeague debut in the 2012-13 campaign, playing a total of 14:24 minutes over three games. In that time, he scored 4 points and grabbed 3 assists. After a two-year loan spell at Sevilla between 2013 and 2015, which saw Hernangomez average 8.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and a 10.3 PIR in 16 7DAYS EuroCup games in 2014-15, he got another chance in the EuroLeague with Real. In what proved to be his final season for Los Blancos before heading to the NBA, Hernangomez averaged 4.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and a 5.6 PIR in 11:10 minutes across 14 bench appearances in the 2015-16 campaign. Just like Nikola Mirotic and Nicolas Laprovittola before him, Hernangomez is the latest former Real player to sign for Barca.
Once in the NBA, Hernangomez made a positive impact while playing for the New York Knicks, being named to the All-Rookie First Team in the 2016-17 season. Overall, the Spaniard has played a total of 312 games in the NBA, having spent two years with the Knicks (2016-18), two years with the Charlotte Hornets (2018-20) and three years with the New Orleans Pelicans (2020-23).
Spain success
In the summer of 2022, Hernangomez was named the MVP of the EuroBasket tournament after playing a key role in leading Spain to the gold medal. With the Spanish national team, the center was also been a part of the gold medal-winning squads at the 2015 EuroBasket and the 2019 FIBA World Cup. In 2017, Hernangomez achieved a bronze medal at the 2017 EuroBasket with La Roja. At youth level, he won a gold medal at the 2011 U18 European Championship and a silver made at the 2014 U20 European Championship. Now, seven years after leaving Real, he is now back in Spain and has a chance to display his talents with Los Blancos' archrival, Barca, in the EuroLeague.