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Vlatko Cancar

And-Ones: Freeman, Cancar, Yurtseven, Ball

July 27th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

After playing 22 games as a rookie for a Pacers team that went to Game 7 in the NBA Finals, Enrique Freeman now finds himself navigating unrestricted free agency for the first time. He’s excited about what will come next, writes Spencer Davies of RG.

Freeman averaged 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds while playing 7.2 minutes per night in 2024/25 after being selected with the 50th pick in last year’s draft. He received more playing time than may have been expected following the Achilles injury to Isaiah Jackson.

Freeman went on to have a productive Summer League this year for the Pacers, averaging 16.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks while shooting 72.5% from the field and 55.6% from three on limited attempts. However, with their three two-way slots filled, the Pacers withdrew their two-way qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent earlier this month.

“I think I put myself in a good position to where I’ll be somewhere soon to get a job and continue my career,” Freeman said. “My biggest goal is to get a contract and be a steady NBA player.”

  • Vlatko Cancar will not be suiting up for the Slovenian national team at the 2025 EuroBasket tournament, reports the Eurohoops team. Despite being a consistent presence on the squad since 2016, Cancar is opting to skip the tournament to focus on the upcoming season with Olimpia Milano, including a program designed to help him be fully healthy and ready to contribute following arthroscopic surgery on his knee in January.
  • Panathinaikos has decided to retain center Omer Yurtseven, writes Kevin Martorano of Sportando. Martorano cites original reporting by SDNA, which details that the Greek club had until July 30 to decide on an opt-out clause in Yurtseven’s deal. With the team reportedly nearing a deal with Thomas Bryant, Yurtseven is expected to be the third center on the roster.
  • Jackson Ball has commited to the Illawarra Hawks, reports ESPN’s Olgun Uluc (via Twitter). Ball, a 17-year-old, 6’5″ wing, is considered to be New Zealand’s top draft prospect. He has committed to the University of Wisconsin in 2026/27 with an eye towards the 2027 draft.
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International Notes: Cancar, Metu, Magnay, Young, Fall

July 22nd, 2025 at 1:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Olimpia Milano has officially confirmed its multiyear deal with veteran forward Vlatko Cancar, announcing the signing in a press release.

Reporting near the start of the month indicated that Cancar was on the verge of finalizing a two-year deal with Olimpia Milano, with the longtime Nugget confirming days later that he would be headed to Italy for the 2025/26 season.

The 49th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Cancar came stateside to join the Nuggets in 2019. Across six years and 143 regular season games with the team, the 6’8″ forward averaged 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per night.

Here are a few more updates from around the international basketball world:

  • Veteran center Chimezie Metu was said earlier this month to be nearing a deal with the Turkish team Feneberbahce, but those talks broke down in the final stages, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. According to Urbonas, Metu had arrived in Istanbul and was prepared to sign with the reigning EuroLeague champions before the deal fell through. While Urbonas doesn’t provide specifics, it’s worth noting Metu is making his way back from an Achilles tear that he sustained in March and his agreement with Fenerbahce reportedly hinged in part on how his recovery was going.
  • Despite reportedly drawing some interest from the Grizzlies, the team he played for at the Las Vegas Summer League, Australian big man Will Magnay is returning to the Tasmania JackJumpers for the 2025/26 season, the team announced in a press release. “Summer League was an amazing and really valuable opportunity for me; I loved the experience. But I’m now excited to get home and get after it with the new group,” Magnay said in a statement.
  • The Perth Wildcats are pursuing free agent guard Jahmir Young, sources tell Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Young finished the 2024/25 season on a two-way contract with the Bulls and scored 40 points on 13-of-18 shooting in a Summer League game for Chicago last Wednesday, but was waived on Saturday to make room for newcomer Yuki Kawamura.
  • The New Zealand Breakers have parted ways with veteran center Tacko Fall, the team announced on social media (Twitter link). A former Celtic and Cavalier, Fall averaged 11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game for the Breakers in 18 outings last season.
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International Notes: Doncic, Maledon, Musa, Gabriel, K. Antetokounmpo, Okafor

July 7th, 2025 at 9:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers star Luka Doncic highlights Slovenia’s preliminary EuroBasket roster, which was released this morning, according to Johnny Askounis of EuroHoops. Vlatko Cancar, who recently left Denver to sign with Olimpia Milano, and former NBA guard Zoran Dragic are among the other players on the 19-man roster, which will eventually be cut to 12.

Doncic has made frequent appearances on the international stage, beginning with EuroBasket in 2017, where he helped Slovenia capture the gold medal. He has also represented his country in the Summer Olympics and in the FIBA World Cup.

Slovenia is in Group D for the preliminary round and will face Poland, France, Belgium, Iceland and Israel from August 28 through September 4. The top four seeds will advance to Riga for the knockout stage, which takes place from September 6-14.

There’s more international news to pass along:

  • Ex-NBA guard Theo Maledon has reached a two-year agreement with Real Madrid, Askounis adds in a separate story. He played for Oklahoma City, Charlotte and Phoenix from 2020-24 and spent last season with ASVEL in France.
  • Former Nets swingman Dzanan Musa is leaving Real Madrid to sign a three-year contract with Dubai, according to BasketNews. Musa, 26, said he received some NBA interest last offseason, but he opted to remain in Europe. “Joining Dubai Basketball is an incredible opportunity,” he said. “I’m ready to write a new chapter, support this growing basketball culture, and help build something truly historic.” Musa was a first-round pick in 2018 and spent two seasons with Brooklyn. Dubai, which is preparing for its first EuroLeague season, has confirmed the signing (Twitter link).
  • As expected, Wenyen Gabriel has signed with Bayern Munich in Germany after playing for Panathinaikos last season, BasketNews adds in a separate story. Since leaving the NBA in 2024, Gabriel has also spent time with Maccabi Tel Aviv and was among the stars of South Sudan’s Olympic team. “I want to bring my passion, energy, and hustle to (Bayern Munich),” Gabriel said. “My goals are clear: make the playoffs and reach the Final Four.”
  • Olimpiacos is nearing an agreement with Kostas Antetokounmpo, reports Sport24 in Greece. The younger brother of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had brief stays with the Mavericks and Lakers, but has mostly played overseas.
  • Jahlil Okafor has signed with Levanga Hokkaido in Japan for next season, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link). The No. 3 pick in the 2015 draft spent most of last season in the G League, but appeared in one game with the Pacers on a 10-day contract.
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Vlatko Cancar Confirms Move To EuroLeague

July 4th, 2025 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

Making an appearance on DNVR Sports’ Denver Nuggets podcast on Thursday (YouTube link), veteran forward Vlatko Cancar confirmed that he plans to sign with Olimpia Milano as a free agent.

Reporting earlier this week indicated that Cancar was expected to sign a two-year contract with the Italian club, which competes in the EuroLeague.

“After the season and before the free agency, I was talking with my agent, and then I was asking, ‘What’s going on with Denver?'” Cancar said (hat tip to Eurohoops). “Unfortunately, they came out with the news where it was kind of like a remodel. … They want to say thank you for everything that you did, but they’re trying to move on now and bring some new energy, bring some new players. And then I accepted it. I said OK, I’m glad I was part of the team for six years. For me, it was OK.”

Cancar was never a major rotation piece for Denver — he set a career high in 2022/23 when he averaged 14.8 minutes per game across 60 regular season contests, but he made just five brief postseason appearances in garbage time during the team’s championship run that spring.

He has played even less during the last two seasons as he has dealt with major left knee issues. He tore his ACL in August 2023 in an exhibition game prior to the FIBA World Cup, then underwent another procedure on the same knee in December 2024. The 28-year-old, who was able to play in just 13 games for the Nuggets across the past two seasons, indicated he’s looking forward to being healthy and having an opportunity to play a more significant role in Italy.

“Milano came straight away and they were eager to bring me in,” Cancar said. “And then, obviously, I got that feeling of being wanted and being important.”

The 49th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Cancar came stateside to join the Nuggets in 2019. Across six years and 143 regular season games with the team, the 6’8″ forward averaged 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per night. He was known to be good friends with Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic.

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Free Agency Notes: Cancar, Nuggets, Turner, Middle Class, Spending Power

July 2nd, 2025 at 11:39am CST by Dana Gauruder

Veteran forward Vlatko Cancar is expected to leave the Nuggets and head to Europe next season, Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com reports. The Italian team Olimpia Milano has emerged as the leading candidate to sign Cancar, Urbonas adds, with a report from Aris Barkas of Eurohoops suggesting the two sides are on track to complete a two-year deal.

Cancar, 28, has spent the past five seasons with Denver. He has battled health problems in recent years, having missed all of 2023/24 due to a torn ACL and then undergoing another knee surgery this past season. In 13 total appearances in 2024/25, he averaged 1.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11 minutes per contest.

Cancar is an unrestricted free agent after playing on a one-year veteran’s minimum deal.

Here’s more news on the free agent front:

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Nuggets Notes: Draft, Free Agency, Alexander

June 27th, 2025 at 9:55pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Nuggets didn’t make a single selection across two nights of the 2025 NBA draft. However, just because there were no picks called for Denver didn’t mean there was no activity on the part of newly promoted general manager Ben Tenzer, writes Bennett Durando for the Denver Post.

“We had our targets. We looked hard at those targets,” Tenzer said. “Had to evaluate where they would get to, could we get there? It’s tricky. But I would say we were moderately close (to trading for a pick) in a couple of different scenarios.”

The 2025 draft saw steep price tags when it came to trading up or into the draft. The Pelicans traded a valuable 2026 first-round pick to move up 10 spots in the first round, while the Grizzlies traded a future first-rounder and multiple seconds to move from 16 to 11.

Even picks in the early second round ended up costing a handful of future assets, which the Nuggets ultimately decided wasn’t worth the cost of doing business.

The Nuggets did strike a deal this week to add at least one member of the 2025 rookie class, however, having agreed to sign undrafted free agent Tamar Bates out of Missouri to a two-way contract. Denver is also believed to be signing Iowa State’s Curtis Jones to an Exhibit 10 deal.

We have more Nuggets notes:

  • Denver will lean on their newly hired executive vice president of player personnel, Jon Wallace, to help find ways to fill out the roster in a way that gives them the best chance at building another championship team, writes Durando in a separate piece. Durando calls the former Timberwolves executive a relative outsider who will bring much-needed perspective on the roster’s needs. “We’ve gotta make sure that we find some more shooting,” Wallace said. “Obviously, address some of the defensive concerns. But I think we have both young individuals here that can step up and do that as we continue to develop them, as well as we’ll look outside and see what makes sense.”
  • Durando points out that free agents Russell Westbrook, DeAndre Jordan, and Vlatko Cancar don’t quite fit that description, though Wallace added that bringing in a backup center who can offer a different look could be effective. “It may be more (of a) run-and-jump, rim-protecting big as opposed to a guy that we play through off the elbows and through the center of our offense,” he said.
  • Second-year guard Trey Alexander will not be back with the Nuggets next season, reports Vinny Benedetto for the Denver Gazette (Twitter links), who says the team wants to go in a different direction with that two-way slot. The 6’4″ shooting guard played just 117 minutes at the NBA level in 2024/25, though he excelled with the Nuggets’ G League team. In 30 total NBAGL outings, Alexander averaged 25.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.6 steals in 37.0 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .462/.395/.817 and earning G League Rookie of the Year honors.
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Nuggets’ Cancar Cleared To Return, Discusses Knee Surgery

March 9th, 2025 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets forward/center Vlatko Cancar, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in the fall, was cleared to return earlier this week and was technically active in Denver’s games on Wednesday and Friday, though he didn’t play at all.

According to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, after Cancar injured his knee in November, he spent two weeks seeking out medical opinions and had multiple surgical options to consider, including waiting until the end of the season to go under the knife or undergoing a cartilage transplant, which would have been a more serious procedure with a longer recovery time.

“To me, (the cartilage transplant) was never an option because it’s a longer period. You have to rehab for 12 months,” said Cancar, who missed the 2023/24 season with a torn ACL in the same knee. “We kind of sat down and talked this through, the whole training staff. … The coaches and everybody knew what I’ve been through before, so they were like, ‘Whatever you do, we’re going to support you.’

“And then after, I think it was just an easy decision for me (to have surgery immediately), the reason being I knew I was going to get back healthy during the season rather than the offseason. Because back home, you’re not really in focus mode that much.”

As Durando explains, the opportunity to recovery from surgery while having access to the Nuggets training staff appealed to Cancar, who wouldn’t have had the same resources over the summer in his home country of Slovenia. The 27-year-old also liked the idea of addressing the issue sooner rather than later and returning before the end of the season so he could be available for the playoffs.

According to Cancar, his surgeon discovered some lingering scar tissue from his ACL injury during the procedure, which involved shaving off a bit of cartilage.

“When I was playing, I didn’t really notice it,” Cancar said. “But once he went in, he was like, it took him more time to get rid of the scar tissue than actually to do the cartilage shave. … It’s a good thing and a bad thing that I went under the knife, because he cleared a lot of scar tissue, but at the same time set me back a little bit more.

“Everything went smooth. I wanted to be back before, but I think (the team) said to be a little bit more patient and give me a little bit more time. Now I just have to build tolerance, because not pain, but soreness and stiffness now is going to be there a long time.”

Cancar wasn’t a regular part of the Nuggets’ rotation prior to the injury, logging just 34 minutes in four appearances off the bench. But he had a couple solid outings in mid-November, including scoring five points and grabbing four rebounds in 11 minutes in the game in which his injury occurred.

As Durando writes, Cancar will likely remain a “deep-bench” reserve for Denver as long as the team stays healthy, as reflected by his two DNP-CDs this week.

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Injury Notes: Hart, Gafford, Ball, Cancar

February 11th, 2025 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Josh Hart hasn’t had to miss any time due to right knee soreness, but he has continually shown up on the Knicks‘ injury report as a result of the issue, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The 29-year-old forward said on Monday that he isn’t sure whether or not he’ll need to undergo an offseason procedure on the knee.

“We’ll see what it calls for at the end of the season,” Hart said. “But, like I said before, I’m a servant to (my teammates) this year. I want to make sure I put these guys in the best situation. It’s not just for them. It’s also for (head coach Tom Thibodeau). I want to make sure that I’m available to him, I want to make sure when I’m out there, I’m playing at a high level and playing the game the way I know how to play. If I’m out there, I’m healthy enough. And I’m good.”

Hart has certainly achieved his goal of playing at a high level this season. Appearing in 51 of 52 possible games, he has scored 14.4 points per game, with career-best marks in rebounds (9.6 per game), assists (5.7), steals (1.5), field goal percentage (55.4%), and free throw percentage (80.6%).

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

  • The Mavericks‘ frontcourt situation went from bad to worse on Monday night, as starting center Daniel Gafford exited the game vs. Sacramento and didn’t return due to what the team called a right knee sprain (Twitter link). Dallas big men Dereck Lively (fracture in ankle) and Anthony Davis (adductor strain) are already expected to be unavailable for at least the next few weeks, so the club would be extremely shorthanded up front if Gafford has to miss time too.
  • Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, who has battled ankle issues for multiple seasons and just recently returned from a left ankle sprain, sat out the final three quarters of Monday’s loss to Brooklyn due to right ankle soreness (story via ESPN.com). While Ball said after the game that he didn’t think the injury was serious, the Hornets could hold him out of their final game before the All-Star break on Wednesday in order to give him an extra week to rest.
  • Nuggets forward Vlatko Cancar, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in early December, will remain on the shelf through the All-Star break, but there’s a chance his return isn’t too far off, according to head coach Michael Malone (Twitter link via Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette). Malone said over the weekend that Cancar might make it back to the court before Peyton Watson does — Watson was ruled out for at least four weeks on February 3 due to a right knee sprain.
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Northwest Notes: Edwards, Caruso, Timberwolves, Cancar

January 13th, 2025 at 8:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was fined again by the league, this time for making obscene gestures toward an official. It’s the fifth time Edwards has been docked by the league this season. He’s also tied for the league lead with nine technicals. Head coach Chris Finch says he has spoken with Edwards about both issues.

“It’s been addressed for sure,” said Finch, per Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Twitter link). “It’s been addressed organizationally, individually. I think he’s aware. We’re all aware.”

Finch believes Edwards will do a better job of controlling his emotions, Hine adds in another tweet.

“He’s extremely self-aware. I think he has emotional control for sure,” Finch said. “I think he’s frustrated on many levels. I think some of that frustration is certainly in & around the whistle no doubt, but he’s just got to figure it out, play through it and he’ll be fine.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • Alex Caruso is no longer listed on the Thunder injury report, signaling that he’ll suit up for Tuesday’s game against Philadelphia, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman tweets. Caruso, who signed a four-year extension last month, has missed the past 10 games with a left hip strain.
  • The parties involved in the Timberwolves’ ownership battle met for a final time on Jan. 10, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets. Arbitration hearings were held in early November and it was expected to take a few months for a ruling. The decision will likely be handed down within the next 30 days. The dispute over control of the franchise between minority owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez and principal owner Glen Taylor moved to arbitration in July.
  • Vlatko Cancar traveled with the Nuggets to Dallas over the weekend and went through a full pregame workout, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Sports Journal tweets. Cancar underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Dec. 4. At that time, the team indicated that Cancar would be reexamined in eight weeks. The forward/center is currently inked to a one-year, $2.1MM veteran’s minimum deal.
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Nuggets’ Vlatko Cancar Undergoes Knee Surgery

December 4th, 2024 at 4:12pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Nuggets reserve forward Vlatko Cancar had a successful left knee scope this week, Denver announced Wednesday (Twitter link). He will be reexamined in eight weeks.

The 6’8″ vet played in just four games this fall for the 11-8 Nuggets, averaging 2.3 points on 57.1% shooting from the floor, including 50% shooting from deep. He had been serving as the third-string, small-ball center behind MVP Nikola Jokic and new free agency acquisition Dario Saric to open the season.

As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post notes, Cancar has been away from the team since injuring the knee in a 122-110 victory over Memphis on November 19. The ailment was initially referred to as a sprain, but Cancar underwent further medical consultation and ultimately landed on an arthroscopic procedure as the best path forward.

The Nuggets selected the Slovenian standout with the No. 49 pick in 2017, though he remained overseas until 2019/20.

Cancar became a full-time rotation player in 2022/23, his best NBA season to date. The 27-year-old subsequently missed the entire ’23/24 season with a torn ACL in the same knee, and has since fallen further down head coach Michael Malone‘s depth chart.

A recovery timeline of eight-plus weeks means Cancar’s comeback will likely happen after this year’s February 6 NBA trade deadline. The forward/center is currently inked to a one-year, $2.1MM veteran’s minimum deal, meaning his money owed would be an afterthought in any deal. Still, he could be added as outgoing money to match salaries as part of a larger transaction for the capped-out Nuggets.

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