By Cesare Milanti/ info@eurohoops.net
One of the biggest moves of the summer so far saw Kevin Punter extending his contract with Partizan Belgrade for two years after rejecting FC Barcelona’s offer. However, there might have been the possibility of seeing the 30-year-old shooting guard debuting in the NBA, joining Vasilije Micic and Sasha Vezenkov in the exile of talents towards the US.
“We were talking with the Raptors really heavily. I thought that was going to be an opportunity. We’ve been speaking with them for a while now, so I thought that was possible I was going to go to Toronto”, he said to Donatas Urbonas of Basket News in the latest episode of the URBONUS podcast with Pinar Karsiyaka’s Errick McCollum as well as guest of the show.
In the end, the former Virtus Bologna and Milano player decided to stay in Serbia and Europe. “It didn’t work out. Obviously, it’s a game of leverage. You can’t give the NBA too much of your leverage because the NBA will take it and run with it. It just didn’t work out. It wasn’t more so the coach thing. Honestly, Europe played a role but it was just the role, ‘Where do you guys see me with your team?’. Do I have to come over before camp? If I have to come over before camp, does that guarantee me a vet minimum? Is it a non-guaranteed [deal]? When we started getting into the fine details like that, I was like ‘You guys want this? Cool”, he added.
“I was just trying to figure out if it was real or not. A lot of times, this NBA situation is not real. They will give you a non-guaranteed [deal] and [say] “If it works out, cool. If it doesn’t, you’re gone.” That situation for me, was real but you have to put your money where your mouth’s at. That’s kind of how that situation went. Back to Europe, we go”, Kevin Punter said ahead of his 8th overseas season after averaging 16.1 points with 49.1% from two, 44.3% from three, and 91.7% at the line with the black-and-white team in the 2022-23 EuroLeague, as well as winning the ABA League against Crvena Zvezda.
PHOTO CREDIT: Turkish Airlines EuroLeague