By Eurohoops team / info@Eurohoops.net
Olympiacos Piraeus star forward Sasha Vezenkov and the Sacramento Kings are more and more expected to join forces next season. According to veteran NBA reporter and insider Marc Stein, a deal between the two sides is “trending toward inevitable.”
Vezenkov, the newly crowned EuroLeague Top Scorer and the big favorite to win MVP, is under contract with Olympiacos until 2025 but the deal includes an NBA buyout of around €1-1.5 million that the Kings can pay to sign him.
Last week, Kings coach Mike Brown traveled to Greece to watch Vezenkov live in action during Game 5 of the EuroLeague playoffs between Olympiacos and Fenerbahce Beko. The 27-year-old player had 17 points (7-10 2-pointers, 0-2 triples, 3-3 free throws) and five rebounds in 33:17 to help the Reds win the series and advance to the Final Four.
This wasn’t the first visit by Kings representatives to see Vezenkov play. In March, Sacramento assistant coach Jay Triano watched their stashed player win MVP in the Greek Cup by leading his team to the title while Kings general manager Monte McNair and vice president Phil Jabour also attended Vezenkov’s games a month later.
Overall in the 2022-23 EuroLeague, Vezenkov is averaging 17.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 28:48.