ESP - Sergio Rodriguez signs for Real Madrid

MADRID (ACB) - Sergio Rodriguez has decided to leave America and return to Spain to play for Real Madrid.
 
The 24-year-old guard has penned a three-year deal at Madrid, where he will play for Italian coach Ettore Messina and look to resurrect his international career.
 
Rodriguez was the 27th pick overall in the 2006 NBA Draft and left for the United States after helping Spain win the gold medal at the FIBA World Championship in Japan.
 
A lack of playing time in the NBA during his four seasons there led to Rodriguez being dropped by the national team.
 
He missed out on the 2008 Olympics, EuroBasket 2009 and this season’s FIBA World Championship.
 
The point guard never received the playing time he craved, even after being traded to woeful Sacramento last year when Paul Westphal opted to give most of the minutes to Tyreke Evans and Beno Udrih.
 
Though a mid-season trade to the New York Knicks saw him average a career-high 19.7 minutes in his 27 games with the team, he has opted to come back to Spain.
 
Rodriguez was on the initial 24-man list for Spain ahead of the 2010 FIBA World Championship but was left off the 15-man squad recently announced by national team coach Sergio Scariolo.
 
FIBA