Sasha Vezenkov waived by Raptors, will to return to EuroLeague

Former EuroLeague MVP winner Sasha Vezenkov is heading back overseas following a brief NBA stint.

The former Sacramento Kings forward has been waived by the Toronto Raptors, clearing the way for the Bulgarian to return to Olympiacos B.C. on a four-year deal.

In order to secure his release from Toronto, Vezenkov agreed to let the Raptors keep his $6.6 salary for the 2024-25 season, per Spotrac’s Keith Smith.

The 28-year-old will return to Greece to play for Olympiacos, the club for which he won Most Valuable Player honors in 2022-23 before signing with Sacramento.

Sasha Vezenkov gave up his entire $6.6M salary in a buyout from the Toronto Raptors, a league source tells @spotrac.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 22, 2024

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 Sasha 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 offseason date of interest?

The dog days of the NBA offseason have arrived.

Sacramento will continue to look to add to its roster before players report for training camp at the end of September. The Kings currently have two open roster spots that general manager Monte McNair will have to fill in the coming weeks and months.

Be sure to stay locked into Sactown Sports for all of your Sacramento Kings news on player signings, trades, game recaps, and more for the upcoming season.

NBA Offseason Schedule

• Saturday, July 6th – Free Agents can officially sign contracts
• July 27-August 11th – 2024 Olympic Games
• Mid-August – 2024-25 NBA schedule release
• Friday, September 27th – NBA training camps begin

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