Selected by the Sixers with the No. 50 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Serbian big man Filip Petrusev remained overseas last season and is poised to do so again in 2022/23. However, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays, Petrusev suggested to MozzartSport that a future in Philadelphia remains possible.
“I went to the Summer League with Philadelphia, the team that drafted me,” Petrusev said, per Google Translate. “Being there, talking to everyone. They have a plan for me and everything is going according to that plan.”
Petrusev added that he didn’t play that much in Las Vegas last month because the Sixers were “focused on other players,” but he appeared in four games for the team, averaging 5.5 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 1.3 BPG in 12.0 minutes per contest.
After winning a EuroLeague title with Turkish team Anadolu Efes last season, Petrusev will play in his home country in ’22/23, having signed with Crvena Zvezda. The Serbian club had a losing record in EuroLeague play last season, but won the ABA League title after finishing with a dominant 24-2 regular season record. Petrusev is looking forward to helping the team return to those heights while continuing to grow his own game.
“I considered my options and picked the team with the best possible conditions for development,” Petrusev said of his free agency decision. “That is why I signed with Crvena Zvezda.”
While it’s unclear if Petrusev is part of the 76ers’ plans for the 2023/24 season, the team’s front office will likely continue to keep a close eye on the ongoing development of the 6’11” forward/center, who is still just 22 years old.
What’s the Plan, Man?