By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Vasilije Micic said two days ago that he feels NBA-ready, however, he also admitted that he is happy in Istanbul as a member of the back-to-back EuroLeague champions Anadolu Efes.
And at this point, it seems that Micic – who is under contract with Efes – will be part of the effort of the team to achieve a rare and historic EuroLeague-three peat, the first after 30 years.
Oklahoma City doesn’t seem to be the right spot for him and the possibility of trade seems more and more distant as time goes by, while in Istanbul there’s restricted optimism about the outcome.
That was confirmed by none other than ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski who tweeted the following: “EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic continues to attract significant interest among several NBA teams who’d like to acquire and sign him. OKC has rights to 6-foot-5 PG, but doesn’t fit their rebuild timeline at 28. Micic would like to join NBA next season if a deal’s found”.
So far, there’s no deal in sight which will accommodate him with Oklahoma asking for meaningful assets which fit their rebuilding plan.
Simply put, OKC will not just give away Micic for a second-round draft pick, for example, considering the fact that he not only feels but is considered by many an NBA-ready player who can contribute meaningful minutes to any team.
It remains to be seen if the teams that are interested in him, reportedly Denver, Milwaukee, Chicago and San Antonio, are ready to move and sacrifice something meaningful in order to sign him.