By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Anadolu Efes was added last night on an exclusive list that includes the teams which have won back-to-back EuroLeague titles and Belgrade may ultimately be remembered as the last big show of the iconic guard duo of Vasilije Micic and Shane Larkin.
However, the long-rumored breakout is not going to be played as scripted. With Larkin being a free agent this summer, it was reported that he was near a deal with Real Madrid, something that was denied by the player himself.
But with Larkin’s rights for Spain still being held by Baskonia – due to the local “tanteo” rule – it’s highly unlikely that Larkin will leave for any Spanish team. On the contrary, Larkin’s side is already in contact with Efes and a new deal between the two of them is more than possible.
While the wish of Efes management until recently was to cut down expenses and that still remains a possible scenario, despite the reported deal with Will Clyburn, after the second title the Turkish champions may not want to hold back so much in search of a historic three-peat.
On the contrary, Vasilije Micic seems to be NBA-bound. After back-to-back championship titles and also back-to-back MVP titles, Micic is more than ready to make the jump to the other side of the Atlantic.
His NBA rights belong to the Oklahoma City Thunder and they are already loaded on the point guard position. So you should expect Micic’s rights to be used as an asset for a possible trade as we are approaching the NBA draft and that trade will also define his NBA future.