By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Vasilije Micic is being traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Charlotte Hornets.
The 31-year-old Serbian point guard was expected to become an unrestricted free agent with the Suns declining a team option amounting to 8.1 million dollars. However, the Suns will instead opt in and trade him back to the Hornets, as reported by ESPN’s Bobby Marks during the 2025 NBA Draft presented by State Farm on Wednesday.
His return to the Hornets is part of a trade sending Mark Williams to the Suns for the 29th pick of this season’s draft and a first-round pick in 2029, protected for the top five spots, as reported by Shams Charania. In addition, the Hornets and the Suns exchanged second-round picks of the 2026 draft, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
Beyond traveling to Greece for personal reasons, Micic was linked to several Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clubs, including defending champion Fenerbahce Beko, over recent weeks. Having a contract for the next season surely complicates a possible path to Europe’s premier club continental competition, but the two-time champion may eventually be waived by the Hornets to return to the free-agent market and once more become available for EuroLeague teams.
Since being traded to the Suns, the Kraljevo native logged five appearances, averaging 0.4 rebounds and 0.2 assists per contest. An increased role with the Hornets at the top of the 2024-25 journey went into 7.5 points, 3.5 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.4 steals per game over 36 appearances, including 16 starts. Launching his NBA career in the 2023-24 season, he played 30 games with the Oklahoma City Thunder and 30 more with the Hornets after a midseason trade.