NBA Scout on the failed Sasha Vezenkov-Kings partnership

Jul 11, 2024, 9:23 AM

Sasha Vezenkov #7 of the Sacramento Kings looks on in the third quarter against the Utah Jazz at Go...

(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

While Sasha Vezenkov’s time with the Sacramento Kings has come to an end, the forward’s NBA future remains unclear.

NBA scout and writer Mark Deeks joined The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross on Thursday morning to give his take on what went wrong between the former EuroLeague MVP and Sacramento, contemplate if Vezenkov will remain with the Toronto Raptors, and much more.

Plus: Are there any overseas prospects that NBA fans should keep their eyes on?

Topics Discussed: Sasha Vezenkov’s NBA future

Diving into the talent pool overseas and how Deeks scouts players that have NBA aspirations
Former Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov was traded to the Toronto Raptors earlier this month
What did Deeks think of Vezenkov’s first NBA season?
“He wasn’t bad when he played. I would say that if [Sacramento] had given him extra minutes in more games, he would have produced like he did [in the EuroLeague].”
Deeks says that he doesn’t believe Vezenkov enjoyed his NBA stint
If Vezenkov goes back to the EuroLeague, will he return to his MVP form?
Are there any players on the horizon overseas that NBA fans should keep their eyes on?

Listen to The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross from 6 – 10 a.m. PST, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.

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More on former Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov

The Sacramento Kings traded Vezenkov, Davion Mitchell, and the 45th pick to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Jalen McDaniels on June 27th.

Expectations were high for Vezenkov last summer when he inked a multi-year deal to finally make the leap from the EuroLeague to the NBA.

After securing EuroLeague MVP honors while playing for Greek club Olympiacos during the 2022-23 season, Vezenkov—the 57th overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft—joined a Sacramento Kings team that was coming off its first NBA Playoff appearance in 17 years.

While it appeared that Vezenkov, a 28-year-old sharpshooter, would fit in seamlessly with Sacramento’s pass-heavy and three-point-shooting-based offense, the forward found himself in and out of head coach Mike Brown’s rotations as the regular season began.

Once Vezenkov reemerged as a player in Brown’s rotation, the Bulgarian talent suffered a left ankle sprain that kept him sidelined for two weeks. Upon returning, Vezenkov injured his right ankle—a grade 3 partial tear—that kept him out of action for seven weeks, including the bulk of the Kings’ postseason push.

“Overall, it was, I can say, a, like, weird season,” Vezenkov responded when asked to reflect on his season following Sacramento’s Play-In loss to New Orleans in late April. “Ups and downs, new game, new life, a couple of injuries,” Vezenkov said of his first NBA season. “I tried to adjust as fast as possible, and you know, unfortunately, we finished too early. Everybody wanted to continue and go deep into the playoffs, but we have to learn from that.

“It was, as I said, a new experience, and I wanted every day to become better. Unfortunately, those two injuries, I think they held me back, but the whole situation was a little bit difficult and different.”

Over 42 appearances this season, Vezenkov posted averages of 5.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game on 44 percent shooting from the field and 37 percent on attempts from three-point range. The 6’9 forward averaged 12.2 minutes per contest, ranking tenth among players on Sacramento’s roster.

When is the next Sacramento Kings off-season date of interest?

Now that the 2024 California Classic is over, Sacramento will head to Las Vegas for the NBA 2K25 Summer League.

The Kings will play their first of five games on Friday afternoon against the top-ten pick Zach Edey and the Memphis Grizzlies with action set to tip off at 3:00 PM PDT.

Sactown Sports 1140 will have all of your Sacramento Kings coverage for the Las Vegas Summer League, free agency, and much more!