By Stefan Djordjevic / sdjordjevic@eurohoops.net
Nemanja Bjelica hasn’t been getting minutes recently with the Sacramento Kings, and while there have been reports that the team is looking to trade him, that hasn’t been the reason for his absence.
A league source confirmed to NBC Sports California that Nemanja Bjelica does in fact have a personal issue due to which he hasn’t been playing, although the exact reason hasn’t been revealed yet.
The team and coach Luke Walton reiterated so as well: “Like I said before, it’s personal, I’m not going to get into somebody else’s personal business,” the coach said on Sunday. “I’ve continued to say that I love coaching Bjelly. He’s a very good player and I look forward to having back on the court again.”
That said, while his lack of playing minutes wasn’t a basketball decision and the team hasn’t been actively trying to trade him, it doesn’t mean that the Kings won’t be listening to and perhaps accepting offers including Bjelica that come their way, according to Yahoo Sports.
The team is looking to move forward with a roster built around their young core on the head with De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley, and will take into consideration using the veterans to strike a beneficial deal for the future.
There have been teams interested in Bjelica over the past couple of years and the Serbian forward has been averaging 6.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists this season in a veteran role with 15 minutes of playing time, before getting sidelined.