Vasilije Micic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nikola Jokic Headlines Serbia’s Preliminary EuroBasket Roster

July 28th, 2025 at 8:32am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is among the 17 players listed on Serbia’s preliminary roster for this year’s EuroBasket tournament, the Basketball Federation of Serbia announced in a press release (hat tip to BasketNews.com).

Jokic is one of a handful of NBA players on the Serbian roster, along with Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, Thunder guard Nikola Topic, Heat forward Nikola Jovic, and Wizards center Tristan Vukcevic.

There are also several other players in the group who have previous NBA experience, such as Vasilije Micic, Marko Guduric, Filip Petrusev, and Alen Smailagic.

The Serbian national team is convening on Monday to begin training for EuroBasket and will play a series of exhibition games in August leading up to the event, which tips off on August 27.

The Serbians will face Estonia, Portugal, Latvia, the Czech Republic, and Turkey in the EuroBasket’s group phase. The field is made up of four groups of six teams apiece, with 16 of the 24 total clubs advancing to the knockout round of the tournament.

It will be the second straight summer in which Jokic has represented Serbia in an international competition — he led the team to a bronze medal finish at the Olympics in Paris in 2024. However, the Serbians were eliminated in the round of 16 by Italy in the most recent EuroBasket tournament in 2022, despite 32 point and 13 rebounds from Jokic in that game.

Vasilije Micic Signs Three-Year Contract With Hapoel Tel Aviv

July 16th, 2025 at 9:47am CST by Dana Gauruder

Vasilije Micic has signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv on a three-year contract, BasketNews.com relays. The contract will make Micic one of the highest-paid players in EuroLeague history. The Israeli club has officially announced the signing in a press release.

While Nadav Zenziper (Twitter link) reports that Micic’s deal is worth 18 million Euros over three years, Eurohoops indicates the value is closer to 14 million Euros. Either way, it’s said to be the most lucrative current contract for any EuroLeague player. Ofer Yannay, the owner of Hapoel Tel Aviv, also confirmed that the agreement will give Micic shares in the club.

Earlier this month, the Bucks bought out Micic shortly after he was acquired in a trade with the Hornets. Micic gave up $6.1MM of his $8.1MM salary in his buyout agreement in order to pursue overseas opportunities.

The former EuroLeague MVP struggled to make an impact during his two seasons in the NBA. In 101 total games for Oklahoma City, Charlotte, and Phoenix, he averaged 6.8 points and 3.9 assists in 19.4 minutes per contest.

He only played five games off the bench for Phoenix before he was dealt to Charlotte, where he appeared in 36 games (16 starts). He averaged 7.5 points and 3.5 assists in 21.2 minutes per night with the Hornets.

“I am very excited to join Hapoel Tel Aviv and to be part of the historic upcoming season – the club’s debut in the Euroleague,” Micic said in a statement released by the club. “I was very impressed by the project that Hapoel is building: the ambitions and the clear vision for the future. It was a pleasure to chat with coach Dimitris Itoudis, I am looking forward to working with him. I hope to help the team succeed and meet the high expectations. I can’t wait to start, arrive in Tel Aviv and give my all for the team and the fantastic fans. Yalla Hapoel!”

Hapoel Tel Aviv reportedly beat out EuroLeague powerhouses Real Madrid, Olympiacos, and Fenerbahce to sign Micic.

International Notes: Brissett, Valanciunas, Bamba, Micic, Cordinier

July 15th, 2025 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA forward Oshae Brissett has signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv, the Israeli team announced on Tuesday in a press release.

Brissett, who went undrafted out of Syracuse in 2019, has since appeared in 233 NBA regular season games for Toronto, Indiana, Boston, and Philadelphia. His best years came with the Pacers, with whom he averaged 8.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 20.7 minutes per game across 153 contests from 2020-23.

The 6’7″ forward was a member of the Celtics team that won a championship in 2024, but turned down a minimum-salary player option with Boston last June and had trouble finding an NBA home after that. He spent part of the 2024/25 season in the G League and appeared in just six NBA games, when he signed a 10-day contract with Philadelphia in March.

“It’s great to bring a former NBA champion to Tel Aviv,” Maccabi Tel Aviv general manager Claudio Coldebella said in a statement. “From the beginning he was our first choice. He’s a player who fits our system and his teammates, who can play in various positions, and who, thanks to his athleticism, energy, and desire to compete, is always very useful in many aspects of the game. We can’t wait to welcome Oshae to the Maccabi family.”

Here are more items of interest from around the international basketball world:

There’s no indication that a buyout is around the corner for Jonas Valanciunas, whose new team in Denver has made it clear it wants to keep him for the 2025/26 season, writes Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. With Valanciunas appearing increasingly likely to stick with the Nuggets, Panathinaikos is considering alternatives as it looks to upgrade its frontcourt, according to reporting from SDNA (hat tip to Sportando). The Greek team had hoped to sign Valanciunas to a new three-year deal, but that won’t be possible as long as he remains under contract in the NBA.
Another one of Greece’s top basketball teams, Olympiacos, is also scouring the market for frontcourt help and is reportedly eyeing former NBA lottery pick Mohamed Bamba, per a Gazzetta.gr report (hat tip to Sportando). The sixth overall pick in 2018, Bamba spent the first half of last season with the Clippers before being traded and waived in early February. He later signed a 10-day deal with New Orleans in March.
After being formally bought out by Milwaukee earlier this month, Vasilije Micic is now officially a free agent, but his plans for next season still haven’t come into focus. Alessandro Maggi of Sportando hears that Micic is leaning toward an offer from Olympiacos over a lucrative bid from Hapoel Tel Aviv, but Aris Barkas of Eurohoops reports that Real Madrid is still in the mix for the former EuroLeague MVP too.
French wing Isaia Cordinier is parting ways with Virtus Bologna, but the 28-year-old’s next move is unclear, according to Maggi of Sportando. As Maggi explains, the Turkish team Anadolu Efes is a strong contender for Cordinier, but his reps are also waiting to see whether an NBA opportunity materializes. Cordinier was the 44th overall pick in the 2016 draft and his NBA rights were previously held by the Nets before being renounced in 2021, freeing him up to sign with any NBA team.

International Rumors: Walker, Gill, Micic, Brown, Kamagate

July 12th, 2025 at 11:10am CST by Rory Maher

Seven-year veteran Lonnie Walker spent most of last season in Lithuania with EuroLeague club Zalgiris Kaunas prior to signing a two-year deal with the Sixers in February. Philadelphia declined its team option on the 26-year-old at the end of last month, making him an unrestricted free agent, and he has yet to be linked to another NBA team.

Could another international stint be in the works for Walker?

According to Matteo Andreani of Basketball Sphere and Tomer Givati of Israel Hayom, Hapoel Tel Aviv is in advanced talks with Walker and has offered the 6’4″ shooting guard a two-year contract. Andreani says the Israeli club is “confident the deal will be finalized soon.”

Here are a few more rumors and notes from across the pond:

Free agent forward Anthony Gill is drawing interest from multiple EuroLeague teams, particularly Real Madrid, per Javier Maestro of Spanish outlet Encestando and Israeli reporter Givati. The 32-year-old was waived by the Wizards last month before his contract became guaranteed and there is reportedly mutual interest in a reunion. However, Washington is also facing a roster crunch and Gill could potentially earn more money and have a larger role with Madrid. It’s not yet known which opportunity would hold more appeal to Gill, per Maestro, who points out that the Virginia product played three EuroLeague seasons with Russia’s Khimki prior to signing with the Wizards in 2020/21.
Serbian guard Vasilije Micic agreed to a buyout with the Bucks, but he won’t be signing with reigning EuroLeague champion Fenerbahce, according to European insider Chema de Lucas (Twitter link), who says the Turkish powerhouse has pulled the contract offer it presented about a month ago (hat tip to Eurohoops). The 31-year-old won back-to-back EuroLeague titles with Turkey’s Anadolu Efes in 2021 and 2022.
Former NBA guard Lorenzo Brown has signed a multiyear contract with Olimpia Milano, the Italian team announced in a press release. The 34-year-old spent parts of five seasons in the NBA from 2013-19 and has had a lengthy international career. He played for Panathinaikos in Greece last season.
French center Ismael Kamagate, whose NBA rights are controlled by the Clippers, has signed with Turkish club Besikas (link to press release). The 24-year-old former second-round pick spent the 2024/25 campaign in Italy with Derthona.

Bucks Officially Stretch Lillard, Buy Out Micic

July 7th, 2025 at 6:56pm CST by Luke Adams

6:56 pm: Micic gave up $6.1MM in his buyout agreement with the Bucks, who stretching his remaining $2MM across three seasons for annual cap hits of $667K, reports Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

5:09 pm: The Bucks have officially waived point guards Damian Lillard and Vasilije Micic, according to the transaction log at NBA.com. Both moves had been anticipated as Milwaukee looked to clear the cap space necessary to sign free agent center Myles Turner to a four-year, $107MM contract.

Reports last Tuesday indicated that Lillard would have his remaining $112.6MM salary spread across five seasons instead of two using the stretch provision in order to create immediate cap relief for Milwaukee.

Lillard is expected to miss most or all of the 2025/26 season while he recovers from the torn Achilles he suffered during the first round of the playoffs in April. The nine-time All-Star has reportedly drawn interest already from many teams around the NBA, but hasn’t yet decided whether he’ll sign a new contract this offseason and is said to be in no rush to make that decision.

As for Micic, the expectation after he was acquired from Charlotte in exchange for Pat Connaughton and a pair of second-round picks was that he would agree to reduce his $8.1MM cap hit in order to become a free agent and generate a little extra cap space for the Bucks. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), the two sides did reach an agreement on a buyout, though it’s unclear at this point how much of his salary Micic gave up.

Micic has played a pretty limited role in the NBA during the past couple seasons after starring in Europe for most of his career. In 101 total games for Oklahoma City, Charlotte, and Phoenix, he averaged 6.8 points and 3.9 assists in 19.4 minutes per contest.

Rumors in recent months have linked Micic to multiple EuroLeague teams — while it’s not clear exactly which one he’ll end up with, it seems likely that the 31-year-old Serbian will head back overseas to resume his playing career.

It appears both Lillard and Micic were technically placed on waivers on Sunday evening, as the NBA’s transaction log lists Turner’s deal as having gotten done last night. Still, if those cuts occurred after 4:00 pm Central time, neither player will officially clear waivers until Wednesday.

Bucks Trade Connaughton, Picks To Hornets For Micic

July 1st, 2025 at 11:45am CST by Rory Maher

July 6: The Hornets have officially acquired Connaughton and the Bucks’ 2031 and 2032 second-round picks in exchange for Micic, the team confirmed today in a press release.

July 1: The Bucks have agreed to trade veteran forward Pat Connaughton and two second-round picks to the Hornets for guard Vasilije Micic, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The second-rounders heading to Charlotte will be Milwaukee’s own in 2031 and 2032, Charania adds.

As Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron tweets, Micic ($8.1MM) only makes about $1.3MM less than Connaughton ($9.4MM) next season, but the Serbian has been repeatedly rumored to be seeking a return to Europe this summer, and could give up a significant portion of his salary in a buyout. Assuming that comes to fruition, it should give the Bucks enough cap room to sign Myles Turner after waiving and stretching Damian Lillard.

Connaughton, 32, was an important reserve for the Bucks when they won the title in 2021 and has been with the team for the past seven years. However, in part due to injuries, he hasn’t looked like the same player in recent years, having been out of Milwaukee’s rotation for much of 2024/25.

Connaughton averaged 5.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists on .469/.321/.774 shooting in 41 regular season games last season (14.7 minutes per contest). He only played 14 minutes over three appearances during the Bucks’ first-round playoff series vs. Indiana, which Milwaukee lost in five games.

Charlotte will acquire a couple of second-round picks for taking on Connaughton’s expiring contract. The Hornets just reacquired Micic yesterday when the Mark Williams trade with Phoenix became official.

Hornets Trade Mark Williams To Suns For McNeeley, 2029 First-Rounder

June 30th, 2025 at 1:26pm CST by Rory Maher

June 30: The trade is official, according to press releases issued by both the Suns and Hornets.

Williams is headed to Phoenix, while Micic, this year’s No. 29 pick (Liam McNeeley), and a 2029 first-round pick (least favorable of Utah, Cleveland and Minnesota) are going to Charlotte.

Rather than the swap of second-rounders (outlined below), the Hornets sent the Suns their own 2029 second-round pick in order to complete the trade.

June 25: Right around the same time they drafted Khaman Maluach, the Suns agreed to acquire another Duke center, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the Hornets are sending Mark Williams to Phoenix in exchange for 2025’s No. 29 overall pick and a 2029 first-rounder.

Sources tell Charania that the 2029 first-round pick will be the least favorable of the selections controlled by Utah, Cleveland and Minnesota (Twitter link). The Wolves’ pick is top-five protected, so it would have to fall outside of that range to be in play.

According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), Vasilije Micic is also involved in the trade, as he’ll be sent back to Charlotte, which just traded him to Phoenix in February. Micic’s $8.1MM team option for next season will have to be exercised for that to occur.

The full trade is as follows, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).

Hornets receive:

Micic.
2025 No. 29 pick.
2029 first-round pick with the least favorable language listed above.
2026 second-rounder (least favorable of Golden State and Denver).

Suns receive:

Williams.
2026 second-round pick (most favorable of Golden State and Denver).

Williams, 23, was nearly traded to the Lakers at the February deadline, but Los Angeles wound up rescinding that deal due to concerns about his physical.

A 7’0″ big man with an enormous 7’7″ wingspan, Williams was productive when healthy this past season for Charlotte, averaging 15.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks in 44 appearances (26.6 minutes per game). He shot 60.4% from the field and a career-best 80.4% from the foul line.

However, health has been a huge issue for Williams through three NBA seasons, having played a total of just 106 games. He also has been a negative defender, particularly when trying to switch onto smaller players on the perimeter.

It’s telling that Charlotte was so determined to move Williams despite his very real upside as a scorer and rebounder. The Hornets only won 19 games last season, but they were substantially worse when Williams was on the court (-12.7 net rating) compared to when he was off it (-7.7).

Obviously, Phoenix is betting that Williams and Maluach will be long-term answers in the middle. After trading away Deandre Ayton two years ago, the Suns have been lacking reliable play up front.

Interestingly, the Suns sent Josh Okogie and multiple second-round picks to Charlotte in January in order to acquire Nick Richards, whose $5MM salary for 2025/26 is non-guaranteed. Adding Maluach and Williams might signal that Phoenix will opt to waive Richards — yet another center — instead of retaining him.

Lakers’ Goodwin, Kings’ Jones Have Team Options Exercised

June 29th, 2025 at 9:05am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have exercised their minimum-salary team option for the 2025/26 season on guard Jordan Goodwin, while the Kings have done the same for forward/center Isaac Jones, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter links).

Goodwin, 26, signed a two-way contract with the Lakers after the trade deadline in February and played well for the team in the second half of the season, earning a promotion to the standard roster in late March. In 29 total appearances (five starts), he averaged 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.0 steal in 18.7 minutes per game, posting a solid shooting line of .438/.382/.818.

As our team option tracker shows, the move doesn’t assure Goodwin of his full $2.35MM salary for next season — only about $25K is guaranteed as a result of the option pick-up. He would have to remain under contract through January 7 in order to be guaranteed the full amount, so his roster spot could still be up in the air depending on how the rest of Los Angeles’ offseason plays out.

As for Jones, the undrafted rookie out of Washington State had a promising debut season for Sacramento in 2024/25, averaging 3.4 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.6 minutes per game across 40 outings. He made 65.1% of his field goal attempts and was promoted to the 15-man roster in March when he reached his limit of 50 active games.

There have been conflicting reports on whether or not Jones’ $1.96MM salary for 2025/26 will be fully guaranteed as a result of the Kings’ option pick-up.

In other team option news, the Suns have officially picked up guard Vasilije Micic‘s $8.1MM option for next season, Smith notes (via Twitter). That was a required procedural move in order for Micic to be included in the Mark Williams trade with Charlotte.

Suns Notes: Frontcourt, Allen, O’Neale, Micic, Martin

June 23rd, 2025 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Expect the Suns to focus on adding frontcourt help in the draft and during free agency, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), who points out that the team could really use a power forward after agreeing to trade Kevin Durant to Houston and also needs either a starting or backup center.

As a result of adding Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks in the Durant deal, Phoenix’s roster is heavy on wings, with Green now part of a group of shooting guards that includes Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Grayson Allen, while Brooks joins Royce O’Neale and Ryan Dunn at small forward. Cody Martin, who has a non-guaranteed $8.7MM salary for next season, could also be part of that mix if the Suns decide to hang onto him.

The Suns have gauged the trade market for Allen and O’Neale, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports, so moving one of them could help clear the logjam on the wing.

Up front, meanwhile, Phoenix likes both Nick Richards and Oso Ighodaro, according to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports, and the expectation is that Richards will have his $5MM salary guaranteed, per Scotto. However, Richards probably fits better as a backup than a full-time starter, while Ighodaro is entering his age-23 season and still needs time to develop.

Unless they’re able to shed significant salary, the Suns will only be able to offer minimum-salary contracts to free agents, but they now control four draft picks this week, including Nos. 10 and 29 in round one.

Here’s more on the Suns:

Within a story that extensively breaks down the Durant trade and its impact on the rest of the Suns’ roster, Bourguet says he expects the team to decline Vasilije Micic‘s $8.1MM team option and suggests Martin could be an odd man out as well for cap/tax reasons, though the club does like him. Scotto confirms that Phoenix will likely turn down Micic’s option and waive Martin unless one of their salaries is needed for a trade.
In that same PHNX Sports story, Bourguet notes that Brooks will bring some “swagger” to the roster that the Suns have lacked since Jae Crowder and Chris Paul departed, confirms that the plan is to hang onto Green rather than flipping him to another team, and briefly explores what the front office will do with Beal, since finding a trade for him feels unlikely.
The Suns had won between 45 and 64 games in the four seasons prior to 2024/25, but the Durant trade feels like it could be the beginning of a difficult stretch for the franchise, writes Doug Haller of The Athletic.
Eric Koreen and James Jackson of The Athletic teamed up to discuss what the Durant trade means for Phoenix going forward, with Jackson expressing surprise that the Suns weren’t able to extract either more young talent beyond Green or additional draft assets besides this year’s No. 10 overall pick.

International Notes: Micic, Westbrook, Jokubaitis, Valanciunas, Theis

June 16th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Hapoel Tel Aviv general manager George Hinas tells Vuk-Milos Petrovic of Basketball Sphere that his team remains in contention to sign Vasilije Micic, but he dismissed speculation about Russell Westbrook. While Micic is still under contract with the Suns, they’re expected to decline their $8.1MM team option for next season, making him a free agent by the end of the month. Several European clubs have expressed interest in adding the 31-year-old point guard, and Hinas rejected reports that Micic has ruled out Tel Aviv because of war concerns.

“He’s a great player, a EuroLeague legend, and one of the best ever,” Hinas said. “We spoke with him in late March and early April. We didn’t reach an agreement then, but we stayed in touch with him and his agent. What the Spanish media reported — that he rejected us because of the war — isn’t true. We continued talking. … Nothing is concrete yet. He’s one of the players we’re interested in, but so are other clubs. That’s how the offseason works — he talks to many clubs, and we talk to many players. His case is not closed. Not at all.”

Hinas called rumors about a potential deal with Westbrook “100% fake news.” Westbrook turned down his player option with the Nuggets for next season, but he’s expected to get another NBA opportunity.

“There were numbers mentioned — $50 million per year — which is crazy,” Hinas added. “I get that Hapoel Tel Aviv draws attention because we’re spending money. I counted 37 players who were linked with us. It’s good we’ll have three rosters, because when you have 37 players, it makes things easier (laughs). To be serious — it’s not true. There was no interest, and no one approached him.”

There’s more overseas news to pass along:

Knicks draft-and-stash prospect Rokas Jokubaitis could be considering a departure from Hapoel Tel Aviv due to international tensions, Petrovic adds in a separate story. Fenerbahce is reportedly interested in the 24-year-old guard, who may seek an early termination to his current contract.
Speaking at his annual camp in Lithuania, Jonas Valanciunas said he expects to remain with the Kings this season after being acquired from Washington in February, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “I can make my own plans, but what the Kings decide is what matters most,” he said. “Right now, I’m planning to stay. I haven’t heard anything about being traded or moved. Until there is such information, all my focus is on Sacramento.” Valanciunas also confirmed that he will participate in this summer’s EuroBasket tournament.
Daniel Theis, who started the season with New Orleans before being traded and waived in February, will miss the rest of the French League Finals with Monaco due to knee issues, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando.