Vasilije Micic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Thunder Sign Vasilije Micic To Three-Year Deal

July 17th, 2023 at 5:07pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 17: The Thunder have officially signed Micic, according to a team press release.

JULY 1: European star Vasilije Micic has agreed to a three-year, $23.5MM contract with the Thunder, agent Jason Ranne tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Micic traveled to Oklahoma City a few weeks ago to discuss a potential contract with the Thunder. A report last week from Christos Tsaltas of Sportal.gr stated that Micic was “determined” to play in the NBA in 2023/24, and now he’ll be coming stateside on a lucrative multiyear deal.

Micic, 29, was selected by Philadelphia with the 52nd overall pick in the 2014 draft. The Sixers traded his draft rights in 2020 to the Thunder, who have held them for the last three years.

The 6’5″ guard has been playing in Europe since 2010 and has been a member of Anadolu Efes since 2018. He won back-to-back EuroLeague championships with the club in 2021 and 2022 and was named the EuroLeague’s Most Valuable Player in 2021. He and Anadolu Efes have also claimed Turkish League titles in 2019, 2021, and 2023, with Micic earning Finals MVP honors this year.

The Thunder already have several young guards on their roster, but they seem quite high on the Serbian veteran. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), several teams trade to acquire Micic’s rights during last month’s NBA draft, including the Jazz, but OKC decided to retain him.

Micic averaged 16.0 points, 5.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 31 EuroLeague contests last season, posting a .435/.357/.870 shooting line in 31 games (31.3 minutes).

The Thunder may have their room exception, which can now be used on signings of up to three years, earmarked for Micic.

Vasilije Micic Reportedly Seeking Move To NBA

June 25th, 2023 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

EuroLeague star Vasilije Micic appears to be getting serious about finally making the move stateside.

Christos Tsaltas of Sportal.gr (Google Translate of Greek report) reports that Micic is “determined” to play in the NBA next season, while Anadolu Efes general manager Alper Yilmaz said that Micic – the star of the Turkish team – “really wants to go to the NBA” (story via Eurohoops).

Micic, 29, was selected by Philadelphia with the 52nd overall pick in the 2014 draft. The Sixers traded his draft rights in 2020 to the Thunder, who have held them for the last three years.

The 6’5″ guard has been playing in Europe since 2010 and has been a member of Anadolu Efes since 2018. He won a pair of EuroLeague championships with the club in 2021 and 2022 and was named the EuroLeague’s Most Valuable Player in 2021. He and Anadolu Efes have also claimed Turkish League titles in 2019, 2021, and 2023, with Micic earning Finals MVP honors this year.

Although Micic has reportedly mulled the idea of making the move to the NBA in the past, he seems more serious this time around, having recently traveled to Oklahoma City to meet with the Thunder.

According to Tsaltas, Micic also seems to have softened on some of his past demands — a year ago, a report suggested he was seeking a salary in the neighborhood of the full mid-level exception and wanted to join a legitimate contender and play a regular rotation role. Tsaltas suggests the Serbian is more flexible on all three of those points now, though he still isn’t expected to settle for a two-way deal or minimum-salary contract.

It remains to be seen whether there will be a spot for Micic on a Thunder roster that is already loaded with young, up-and-coming players and will be adding another lottery pick (Cason Wallace) to that group this summer.

Asked about Micic’s visit to OKC, head of basketball operations Sam Presti said it was good to touch base with the 29-year-old, but was noncommittal about the club’s plans for him (Twitter video link via Clemente Almanza of The Thunder Wire).

The Thunder could trade Micic’s rights in order to get him to an NBA team willing to sign him this offseason, but would presumably be looking to extract an asset or two in any deal.

Northwest Notes: Micic, Williams, Holmgren, Wolves, Blazers’ Pick

June 19th, 2023 at 7:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic is in Oklahoma City to discuss a potential contract with the Thunder, Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net reports. Negotiations can commence after the draft, Barkas adds.

Micic, who plays for Anadolu Efes, hired the Wasserman Media Group as his new representative in March. Micic, whose draft rights are owned by the Thunder, is a two-time Euroleague Final Four MVP. However, it’s unclear whether the Thunder would have a role for the 29-year-old guard, whose rights could be traded if he wants to make the jump to the NBA.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Coming off an excellent rookie season, Jalen Williams will play in Summer League games for the Thunder in Salt Lake City next month, Thunder reporter Rylan Stiles tweets. Ousmane Dieng will also play and it’s “very possible” Chet Holmgren, who missed all of last season with a foot injury, could participate.
The Timberwolves hosted six prospects in a pre-draft workout on Monday, the team tweets. They took a closer look at Tosan Evbuomwan (Princeton), Jazian Gortman (Overtime Elite), D’Moi Hodge (Missouri), Gabe Kalscheur (Iowa State), Mojave King (G League Ignite) and Jalen Slawson (Furman).
Rumors have been flying that the Trail Blazers will deal their lottery pick. Bill Oram of The Oregonian argues that the Blazers need to hold onto the No. 3 overall selection and choose their next star, regardless of whether Damian Lillard remains with the team or requests a trade.

Northwest Notes: Jokic, Vucevic, Porter Jr., Micic, Prince

March 7th, 2023 at 10:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls center Nikola Vucevic doesn’t think Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic should be penalized for being a prior Most Valuable Player award winner when voters make their selections this season, he told K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

“I think he deserves to get another one, the way he’s playing. I think you take him out of that team, it’s not even close to the same team,” Vučević said of the Nuggets’ franchise player. “The things that he does, you look at his stats, the efficiency he’s playing at, it’s very impressive. And it’s not like he’s putting up numbers and they’re not winning. They’re (25-0) when he has a triple-double. And he plays in a winning way. He makes the right play. He doesn’t force. He doesn’t try to do something just to do it. It’s all within the flow of the game. It’s winning basketball.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Nuggets may finally reach the Finals this season in large part because of Michael Porter Jr’s maturity, Harrison Wind of TheDNVR.com writes. Porter has made himself a force at both ends of the floor after teams previously tried to take advantage of his defensive shortcomings. “I think Michael Porter has been just tremendous on both ends of the floor all season long,” coach Michael Malone said.
Serbian guard Vasilije Micic has hired the Wasserman Media Group as his new representative, HoopsHype tweets. Micic, whose draft rights are owned by the Thunder, is a two-time Euroleague Final Four MVP and is considered the best guard in Europe. However, it’s unclear whether the Thunder would have a role for the 29-year-old if he pursued an NBA career next season and he could be traded if he wants to make the jump.
Taurean Prince‘s value to the Timberwolves is reflected in their won-loss record, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. They are 24-17 when he plays and 10-16 when he doesn’t. “He’s like the ultimate glue guy with a little bit extra spice to it,” guard Mike Conley said. “You think he’s just three-and-D and all of a sudden, coming off pin downs, he’s making plays for guys. He’s being a leader. … He’s got a full game to him that’s really big for our second unit.” Prince has a non-guaranteed salary of $7.455MM next season and Minnesota has to make a decision on his contract status before free agency.

Thunder Notes: SGA, Giddey, Bazley, Micic

January 25th, 2023 at 7:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

The backcourt pairing of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey has looked much smoother in its second season together, writes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. The Thunder‘s young guards were still working out ball-handling responsibilities when Giddey suffered a season-ending hip injury last February. They’ve learned how to complement each other this year and are a major part of why OKC is in the playoff race at 23-24.

“When you’ve got two guys that really want to get it right, it’s less about their games, it’s less about their fit,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “It’s more about, do the players want to work to get right? And in this particular case we have an entire team, it’s not just limited to Josh and Shai, (of) guys that want to get it right. I think that’s what you’re seeing over time.”

Giddey is averaging 16.0 PPG in his second NBA season and has become more dependable as an outside shooter, raising his three-point percentage from 26.3% to 32.8%. He’s also taking advantage of the opportunities created while defenses focus on Gilgeous-Alexander, who ranks fifth in the league in scoring.

“Shai could have 40 points every night if he wanted to,” Giddey said, “but he’s unselfish, he gets off the ball, he makes players around him better.”

There’s more from Oklahoma City:

Although the Thunder look like legitimate playoff contenders, any moves that general manager Sam Presti makes before the trade deadline will be focused on the future rather than securing a postseason spot, Mussatto states in a mailbag column. Mussatto sees Darius Bazley as the most likely candidate for a trade because of his limited offensive game, and he speculates that the team won’t re-sign Bazley in free agency this summer even if he’s not dealt away.
Fans shouldn’t count on seeing Serbian guard Vasilije Micic in a Thunder uniform next season, Mussatto adds in the same piece. Although the 29-year-old continues to excel in Europe, it’s not clear if there’s a role for him in Oklahoma City. Micic wants a chance at regular playing time if he comes to the NBA, and Mussatto suggests that he might be more valuable to OKC as a trade chip.
The Thunder have a strong case to finish as one of the top six teams in the West, contends Ethan Fuller of Basketball News. Oklahoma City is 8-3 in January and just one game out of sixth place. The Thunder and Nuggets are the only teams that rank in the top five in both offensive and defensive ratings for the month.

Five Draft-And-Stash Players Worth Knowing

November 25th, 2022 at 2:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Not every player drafted in a given year signs an NBA contract right away. Each year, at least a handful of draftees are “stashed” either in the G League or in various professional leagues around the world. The NBA team that drafted the player retains his exclusive NBA rights as he continues to develop his skills elsewhere.

Some of these players never end up making it to the NBA, whether by choice or because they don’t turn into an NBA-caliber contributor. Their draft rights eventually become more useful as placeholders in minor trades than for the possibility of the player coming stateside.

But many draft-and-stash players do eventually turn into useful contributors. Bogdan Bogdanovic, Davis Bertans, Cedi Osman, Dario Saric, Willy Hernangomez, Raul Neto, and Furkan Korkmaz are among the current NBA veterans who were stashed for at least one year after being drafted before signing an NBA contract.

Another member of that group? Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, the 41st pick in the 2014 draft, who remained in Serbia for a year before signing with Denver in 2015.

None of the players currently being stashed overseas are likely to turn into a Jokic-esque superstar at the NBA level, but there are certainly a few who look capable of cracking a rotation sooner or later.

Here are five of the most noteworthy draft-and-stash played worth keeping an eye on at the moment:

Vasilije Micic

Current team: Anadolu Efes (EuroLeague)
Drafted: 2014 (No. 52 overall)
NBA rights held by: Oklahoma City Thunder

Long considered one of the best guards in Europe, Micic was the EuroLeague’s Most Valuable Player in 2021 and has been named the MVP of the league’s Final Four in each of the last two seasons.

It looked like there was a chance he’d make his way to the NBA for the 2022/23 season, but there were a number of hurdles to overcome. Micic was reportedly seeking a salary close to the full mid-level exception and wanted a real, defined role rather than just coming over to sit on the bench.

The biggest roadblock may have been the fact that his NBA rights are held by the Thunder — the Serbian would reportedly prefer to join a contender, and Oklahoma City remains very much in the rebuilding stage.

Despite some offseason trade rumors, the Thunder ultimately held onto Micic and he opted to re-sign with Anadolu Efes in Turkey. He’s once again thriving in EuroLeague play, ranking third in points per game (18.9) and second in assists per game (6.6) through nine appearances.

Micic will turn 29 in January, so if he wants to try to make his mark in the NBA, it probably has to happen soon.

Sasha Vezenkov

Current team: Olympiacos (EuroLeague)
Drafted: 2017 (No. 57 overall)
NBA rights held by: Sacramento Kings

Vezenkov is coming off his best season in 2021/22, having led the Greek Basket League in scoring en route to an MVP award and a championship. He also earned a spot on the All-EuroLeague First Team.

The 27-year-old forward has looked even better so far in the ’22/23 season. Through 10 EuroLeague games, he’s second in scoring (20.1 PPG) and first in rebounding (8.7 RPG), leading Olympiacos to a 7-3 record.

After acquiring Vezenkov’s rights from Cleveland in a draft-day trade, the Kings reportedly planned to meet with him during the Las Vegas Summer League to discuss his future. However, that meeting didn’t end up taking place and Sacramento ultimately didn’t sign Vezenkov for the 2022/23 season.

It’s unclear whether it was the Kings or Vezenkov who backed off a potential deal, but based on how this season has played out so far, there’s reason to believe both sides could be more interested in teaming up next summer. Sacramento is off to a 10-7 start and has one of the NBA’s most exciting offenses, while Vezenkov is making a legitimate case for a EuroLeague MVP consideration.

Juhann Begarin

Current team: Paris Basketball (EuroCup)
Drafted: 2021 (No. 45 overall)
NBA rights held by: Boston Celtics

Still only 20 years old, Begarin played a significant role for Paris Basketball last season during the team’s first year in France’s top league (LNB Pro A) and is doing so again in 2022/23. The French shooting guard is a long-distance threat who showed off his scoring ability in Las Vegas this July, averaging 18.2 PPG in five games for Boston’s Summer League team.

It makes sense that a team with title aspirations like the Celtics wasn’t necessarily eager to bring over a 20-year-old prospect right away, but it seems like it’ll be just a matter of time before he gets his shot.

Former NBA assistant Will Weaver, who is now Paris’ head coach, raved about Begarin last month, referring to him as an NBA-caliber player who “can make an impact in Boston.”

Filip Petrusev

Current team: Crvena zvezda (EuroLeague)
Drafted: 2021 (No. 50 overall)
NBA rights held by: Philadelphia 76ers

Still just 22 years old, Petrusev already has an impressive international résumé. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Adriatic League (ABA) in 2021 as a member of Mega Basket, then won a EuroLeague title with Micic and Anadolu Efes in 2022.

The forward/center is currently playing for Crvena zvezda in his home country of Serbia and has been an effective role player in 10 EuroLeague appearances, averaging 7.0 PPG and 4.7 RPG on .543/.455/.625 shooting in 18.4 MPG. In five ABA games, his shooting percentages have been even better (.609/.800/.824).

Petrusev was reportedly interested in joining the Sixers this past summer, but there wasn’t room for him on a veteran-heavy roster. He has since expressed confidence in Philadelphia’s “plan” for him and said he believes competing in the EuroLeague will be a boon for his development.

Gabriele Procida

Current team: Alba Berlin (EuroLeague)
Drafted: 2022 (No. 36 overall)
NBA rights held by: Detroit Pistons

Procida is one of eight prospects who are playing in international leagues this season after being selected in the 2022 draft. The Italian wing was the first of those eight players to come off the board in June and may be the most intriguing of the bunch at the moment.

Although he’s only 20 years old, Procida is playing a rotation role for Alba Berlin in EuroLeague competition, averaging 7.2 PPG with a .351 3PT% in 16.7 minutes per contest.

Procida’s contract with Alba Berlin is a three-year deal and details about possible NBA outs haven’t been reported, so it’s unclear if and when we might see him in the NBA. However, he told Orazio Cauchi of BasketNews that the Pistons are in frequent contact with him and visited him in Berlin, so it sounds like he’s in the club’s plans going forward.

EuroLeague Star Micic Seeks Defined Role Before Joining NBA

October 4th, 2022 at 10:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

If EuroLeague star Vasilije Micic makes the jump to the NBA, he wants a clearly-defined role and believes he may not be a good fit with the Thunder, he told Semih Tuna of Eurohoops.net.

Oklahoma City holds the rights to Micic and general manager Sam Presti recently stated the Thunder came “pretty close” to signing Micic, who has won back-to-back EuroLeague titles and Final Four MVPs with Turkish club Anadolu Efes.

Micic, 28, indicated he was hesitant to sign because he was unsure if he’d be part of the rotation.

“Talking about OKC, they have my rights and I have the desire to go there, but maybe our opinions are conflicting,” he said. “They want to develop their players and build a young team with all those great young guys they have. Maybe there is no space for me.”

Micic’s representatives were rumored to be urging the Thunder to trade his rights. However, he was still under contract in Europe and ultimately decided to stay with Efes for another season.

A conversation with Nikola Jokic also led to Micic’s decision to stay in Europe. They are teammates on the Serbian national team.

“From what I heard from my agents, there were rumors about some teams. Some teams were interested in me. As far as I understand, people there are hesitant to give me the role that I want,” he said. “I was talking to Jokic, he’s the best player out there. He said to me, ‘It doesn’t matter who you are when you’re there, what matters is the role you get, whether they will sign you, and the money in return. That’s how they look at you and show their confidence in this way.'”

Micic mentioned the possibility of being traded to a playoff contender, but said “that’s out of my hands.”

In terms of playing here next season, he’s more focused on getting playing time than a big contract.

“I don’t expect anything too cheap or anything crazy high on the contract,” he said. “The main issue for me is not money, but rather the trust of the team in me.”

Northwest Notes: Thunder, Micic, Grant, Tillman

September 23rd, 2022 at 8:27pm CST by Rory Maher

General manager Sam Presti said the Thunder came “pretty close” to signing Serbian star Vasilije Micic, writes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. Micic has won back-to-back EuroLeague titles and Final Four MVPs with Turkish club Anadolu Efes.

“He’s really taken off since the time in which we acquired his rights,” Presti said, referring to the trade in 2020 that sent Micic’s rights to Oklahoma City from Philadelphia. “All I can tell you is I thought we were pretty close at one time. He is on a contract, and he’s committed over there. But I wouldn’t rule anything out. It’s probably a year-to-year thing.”

Micic’s representatives were rumored to be pushing the Thunder to trade his rights, with several teams said to be interested in his services. However, he was still under contract in Europe and ultimately decided to stay with Efes for another season.

Here’s more from the Northwest:

The Thunder recently announced some changes to their coaching staff for the 2022/23 season. In addition to formalizing an agreement with longtime Spurs assistant Chip Engelland, the Thunder have also named Grant Gibbs an assistant coach. Gibbs has been the head coach of the Oklahoma City Blue, the team’s G League affiliate, for the past three seasons, and will be replaced by Kameron Woods, who was an assistant with the Thunder last season.
The Trail Blazers need Jerami Grant to improve upon his Pistons play if they hope to contend this season, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian, who writes that Grant should see a bump in offensive efficiency playing on a more talented roster. The Blazers are interested in reaching a long-term extension with Grant, whose $20.96MM contract expires after ’22/23, Fentress adds.
Justin Tillman is not on the Nuggets‘ training camp roster but is still expected to play for their G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, our JD Shaw reports (via Twitter). Tillman, who is still signed to an Exhibit 10 deal, will likely be waived and replaced by another Exhibit 10 player within the next few days, per Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link). Tillman spent last season in the G League with the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s affiliate.

EuroBasket Notes: Brown, Vezenkov, Sengun, Micic, Fernandez

September 4th, 2022 at 10:28am CST by Arthur Hill

Mike Brown is among the NBA head coaches who fully endorse having their players take part in international competitions, writes Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops. Brown is attending the EuroBasket tournament to watch and support two Kings players, Domantas Sabonis of Lithuania and Alex Len of Ukraine.

“There’s nothing better in my opinion than getting yourself ready for an NBA season than playing and practicing at the level that these guys [in the EuroBasket] do,” Brown said. “You know you always worry about injury and that’s a concern of all of ours, but these guys are so passionate about playing for their country that it’s hard to not support them. You want them to do what they’re passionate about because that’s what life is about.”

Stroggylakis notes that the Kings had interest in signing another international player, Sasha Vezenkov, for the upcoming season after acquiring his rights from the Cavaliers on draft night. Brown said the organization invited Vezenkov to visit Sacramento this summer, but he declined due to his commitment to the Bulgarian national team. Vezenkov will play this season for Olympiacos Piraeus in Greece.

“We were hoping he could come out so we’d get to know him a little bit and take a look at him, but he had other commitments this summer, especially with the national team and all this stuff,” Brown said. “We have his rights, so we’ll circle back at him next summer. He’s big and versatile. He can shoot the ball, he’s a veteran, he’s smart. He just knows how to play the game.”

There’s more from EuroBasket:

Rockets center Alperen Sengun is turning Turkey into a medal contender, per Semih Tuna of Eurohoops. The Turkish team is off to a 2-0 start and appears ready to challenge Spain for the top spot in Group A. “In the NBA we play a lot of games against legendary players,” Sengun said after Saturday’s win over Bulgaria. “We are learning constantly everything. We are learning about that busy schedule too, which I am used to it. Here, we play two back-to-back games and then have a day of rest, so we are ready for this. In the next season, things will be even better for me.”
Vasilije Micic won’t be coming to the NBA this season, but he’s enjoying the chance to play alongside two-time MVP Nikola Jokic with Serbia, according to a Eurohoops story. The Thunder were willing to trade Micic’s draft rights this summer, but no one offered the first-round pick they were reportedly seeking.
Former Trail Blazers and Nuggets guard Rudy Fernandez is nearing the career record for games played for the Spanish national team, Eurohoops notes in another piece. The 37-year-old moved into second place Saturday and is now just 13 games behind Juan Carlos Navarro.

Western Notes: Merrill, J. Hall, Micic, Suns

August 15th, 2022 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Sam Merrill‘s new two-year contract with the Kings is, as expected, worth the veteran’s minimum. Merrill received a $150K partial guarantee for the 2022/23 season, Hoops Rumors has learned.

Merrill’s full minimum salary for ’22/23 would become guaranteed if he remains under contract through the league-wide guarantee deadline in January. If the Kings forward plays out the full first year of his deal, his second-year minimum salary would become guaranteed on June 29, 2023.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Jordan Hall‘s two-way contract with the Spurs covers two seasons, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Hall is one of four players this offseason to have signed a multiyear two-way deal.
While there was a sense the asking price could have been brought down, the Thunder were believed to be seeking a first-round pick for Vasilije Micic‘s NBA rights before he decided to remain with Anadolu Efes, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. “I think that was where it was a little too much for teams,” one Western Conference executive told Deveney. “No one wanted to give up a pick plus everything else it would take. The guy can play, I think he’d be good in the NBA. But no one wanted to give up picks and money for him.” Deveney suggests Micic would’ve sought a salary in the $6-7MM range and a sizable rotation role in order to make the move to the NBA.
Former Suns head of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo said he’d “love to see” Kevin Durant land in Phoenix, according to Doug Haller of The Athletic, who draws parallels between a possible Durant acquisition and Colangelo’s trade that brought Charles Barkley to the Suns back in 1992.