Real Madrid reportedly interested in Kostas Sloukas / News - Basketnews.com

Real Madrid didn't manage to sign Kostas Sloukas in 2020, but they might have a chance to do it next summer.

Credit: Christina Pahnke/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Christina Pahnke/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

The point guard position continues to be one of Real Madrid's biggest concerns this season and also for the next. That is why the Spanish powerhouse hasn't stopped looking at possible signings for the 2023-24 campaign.

Kostas Sloukas

MIN:23.01PTS:11 (58.45%)REB:2.29As:6.38ST:0.42BL:0.04TO:1.88GM:24ProfileEuroLeague2022/2023

The continuity of Nigel Williams-Goss, who's now injured, and Sergio Rodríguez seems complicated, while the future of the also injured Carlos Alocen, who hasn't played an official game in the last 13 months, is in the air.

According to a report from Encestando, which has been confirmed by Marca and Eurohoops, Madrid have set their eyes on Kostas Sloukas.

Sloukas, 33, is on an expiring contract with Olympiacos Piraeus, but his case is extremely tough for Real Madrid since he's one of the mainstays of the current EuroLeague leaders (11.0 points and 6.4 assists per game) and is highly doubtful whether he'd be willing to leave Greece and the team that allowed him to star at the highest level.

Sloukas left Olympiacos for Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in 2015 after winning back-to-back EuroLeague trophies (2012, 2013). He won the 2017 EuroLeague with Fenerbahce and returned to the Reds in 2020.

The case is even more complicated by the fact that Olympiacos and Sloukas have already been in talks for a two-year contract extension, per Eurohoops. The same goes for Kostas Papanikolaou, whose deal also expires next summer, and Thomas Walkup, who's linked to the Greek club until 2023, with a team option that can keep him for one more year in Piraeus.

Apart from Sloukas, whom Real Madrid had targeted last summer, the 10-time EuroLeague champs were following the cases of Lorenzo Brown, who recently renewed with Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, and Facundo Campazzo, whose return seems difficult for the time being.

That's why, according to Marca, the team from the Spanish capital is looking into two more cases: Darius Thompson and Alberto Diaz.

Thompson, 27, is turning heads in his maiden EuroLeague season, averaging 11.7 points and 6.5 assists per game.

The player has an Italian passport, so he would not occupy a non-EU position. Last summer he signed for two seasons with Baskonia, but next summer, he has a buyout clause affordable for the big budgets in Europe. This means that if a team wants to sign him, there will be no need to negotiate with the club from Vitoria.

In Alberto Diaz's case, Unicaja Malaga have already spoken with the player to extend his contract. If the whites want to sign the Spanish international guard, they'll have to pay a considerable buyout to his current team.

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