By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Vasilije Micic will be playing for Anadolu Efes this season looking to pick up more titles and individual accolades. The Oklahoma City Thunder and possibly more NBA teams will be watching closely.
Thunder general manager Sam Presti revealed summer talks with the back-to-back Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion and back-to-back Final Four MVP. “He’s really taken off since the time in which we acquired his rights,” he mentioned referring to the trade in 2020 sending Micic’s rights to the Thunder, “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.”
Similar to recent offseasons, Micic was linked to a move to the NBA this summer but ultimately opted to remain a member of Turkish club Efes for another season. “I am still showing a desire to go to the NBA. I would like to try myself there,” he told Eurohoops in July.
Micic, 28, was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 52nd overall pick of the 2014 NBA draft. Six years later, his rights were included in the trade moving Vincent Poirier, Terrance Ferguson, and Danny Green to the Sixers for Al Harford, Theo Maledon, and the Serbian superstar.
Besides the Efes star, the discussion stretched to fellow Serbian Aleksej Pokusevski during the preseason press conference Thursday. “He’s had every opportunity to kind of fold and he hasn’t done that. He’s better. I think he’s had a good summer,” said Presti.
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