By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Olympiacos star forward Sasha Vezenkov addressed the recent acquisition of his NBA rights by the Sacramento Kings, saying that the organization finds him appealing enough to possibly call him up.
“My rights are with a team that really sees something positive in me and something that might make them make an offer to me,” Vezenkov said to Bulgarian media, per BG Basket. His contract expires in 2024 and includes NBA opt-out clauses for this summer and the next one.
The Kings traded the 49th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Vezenkov’s rights, plus cash considerations. Sacramento’s move took place after the Bulgarian player’s best year in his career so far.
Last season Vezenkov was named to the All-EuroLeague First Team, averaging 13.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 30:11 minutes over 38 games in the competition as Olympiacos returned to the Final Four for the first time after 2017. He also had a stellar run in Greece and helped the Reds win the championship by posting 18.6 points (on 10-15 3-pointers), 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in the Finals against Panathinaikos Athens.
Before he emerged as an elite EuroLeague player with Olympiacos, Vezenkov spent three years with Barcelona. The Blaugrana signed him in 2015 as one of the top European talents, after he won Greek League MVP and Top Scorer with Aris Thessaloniki at just 19 years of age.