EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov Lands in Sacramento, Three Years for $20 Million

Sacramento Kings and Sasha Vezenkov have agreed to a three-year deal worth $20 million. The two sides have been linked for some time, but according to various NBA insiders, the deal was done this morning.

Vezenkov won the EuroLeague MVP honors this year, reaching the finals with the Greek powerhouse Olympiacos, yet losing the game to Real Madrid in the final moments. The 27-year-old scored 17.6 points with 6.8 boards in 29 minutes on the court, shooting an astonishing .665 percent from the field.

At 6-foot-9, Vezenkov is a fluid forward who knows how to play outside the arc and under the rim. His percentage for three points is around .400, and he very well knows to stretch the rivals’ defenses.

After more than a decade of professional basketball in Europe, Sasha Vezenkov is moving to the NBA 🔥 pic.twitter.com/yIltPVvzuz

— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) July 1, 2023

He was drafted back in 2017 by the Brooklyn Nets as the 57th overall pick. Later, the Nets passed the draft rights to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who traded him to Sacramento in exchange for the 49th pick at the 2022 NBA draft.

The Kings have already created a core of the team and are now bringing the role players who could help them in the future. They reached the NBA playoffs this year but lost in the first round to the Golden State Warriors, despite leading 2-0.

They retained forward Harrison Barnes on a three-year $54 million deal, keeping one of their most important players around. The Kings are expected to add one more veteran to the current roster and complete a team that would attack the Western Conference title.

Both Vezenkov and Barnes are versatile players, able to hurt their rivals from all positions. The Bulgarian’s style of play fits the Kings’ mentality perfectly, as he too, emphasizes offense.

Talks about his move overseas began last year, but after reaching the ceiling in European basketball and establishing himself as the best player in the most prominent basketball competition on the continent, it was inevitable to see Vezenkov in the USA now.

In other news, the Memphis Grizzlies have struck a deal with Desmond Bane to stay for five more years, offering his a max-contract extension worth $207 million. Like the Kings, the Grizzlies, too, have a backbone of the team who is already elite and one of the best in the league. Earlier yesterday, the Grizzlies signed the former NBA MVP Derrick Rose for the next two years.

4 players in NBA history have had 100 threes and shot 40% on threes in each of their first 3 seasons.

2 agreed to max rookie extensions Saturday — Desmond Bane & Tyrese Haliburton.

The others? Klay Thompson & Ben Gordon. pic.twitter.com/1F1HOVjUbt

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 1, 2023

Bane scored 21.5 points per game last season, with five boards and 4. assists, shooting .408 for three. Ja Morant and he became one of the best duos in the NBA, harassing the rivals.

At last, the Indiana Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton agreed on a five-year max-contract extension which could reach a fantastic $260 million. He was drafted to Indiana last year with Buddy Hield, and the two immediately made an impact becoming the best players. Haliburton ended this year playing 56 games and averaging 20.7 points with 10.4 assists, shooting .400 for three and .480 from the field overall.

On Friday, the Pacers reached a deal with the NBA champion, Bruce Brown, giving the small forward $45 million for the next two years and adding another very dangerous scoring option.