Coming off their first playoff appearance in nearly 17 years, the Sacramento Kings are expected to sign EuroLeague MVP forward Sasha Vezenkov this summer.
Vezenkov, who turns 28 in August, is one of the best basketball players outside of the United States. The 6-foot-9 forward was selected with the 57th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets, with his draft rights traded twice over the past three years.
- Sasha Vezenkov stats (EuroLeague): 17.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 38.5% 3PT, 21.2 PIR
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Sacramento acquired him from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2022, securing his draft rights in exchange for the 49th overall pick. While they invited him to Las Vegas last summer in an attempt to convince him to come to the NBA, Vezenkov signed a new deal with Olympiacos Piraeus.
However, Vezenkov’s contract allows him to sign with Sacramento this summer with Olympiacos receiving a larger buyout. While an official announcement hasn’t been made, many around basketball now expect him to play in Sacramento next season.
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According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Vezenkov is “seriously considering” making the transition to the NBA. Furthermore, per one European insider who spoke to Stein, a deal with the Kings this summer is increasingly “inevitable” to happen.
“The way we play, he fits in really good. He shoots the 3 ball. He’s got size. He’s got toughness. He rebounds. All those things are exciting with the way we play the game of basketball, so we’ll let him finish out his season, and then we’ll make decisions from there…I tell you what, the way he shoots the ball, we like to get up a lot of 3s. We space the floor, in my opinion, really, really well. We play extremely fast, and so I think he can be a really effective player in the NBA at a high level, especially with his toughness. He’s not afraid at all and I love that about him.”
Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown on Sasha Vezenkov (H/T Sean Cunningham)
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Sacramento has kept a close eye on Vezenkov throughout the year. As noted by The Kings Herald, general manager Monte McNair, head coach Mike Brown, assistant general manager Phil Jabour and assistant coach Jay Triano have all scouted Vezenkov in person.
With both Harrison Barnes and Trey Lyles headed into free agency, the Kings could replace either player with a 6-foot-8 forward who fills a vacancy on the wing and will provide additional perimeter shooting.
