Report: Mike Brown is in Greece to watch Sasha Vezenkov

May 8, 2023, 10:43 AM | Updated: 1:05 pm

ATHENS, GREECE - APRIL 26: Sasha Vezenkov, #14 of Olympiacos Piraeus react during the 2022/2023 Tur...

(Photo by Panagiotis Moschandreou/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images)

Sacramento Kings Beat Writer

The ‘Summer of Sasha’ is upon us.

As speculation begins to swirl surrounding the possibility of Greek League MVP and All-EuroLeague First Team forward Sasha Vezenkov jumping to the NBA this summer, the Sacramento Kings are making their intentions clear in the early stages of the offseason.

According to EuroHoops.net, Kings head coach and reigning NBA Coach of the Year award winner Mike Brown will attend Vezenkov’s winner-or-go-home Game 5 matchup on Tuesday when his club–Olympiacos B.C.–takes on Fenerbahçe in the EuroLeague quarterfinals in Piraeus, Greece.

Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown will be in Greece for Game 5 to watch Vezenkov live #Euroleague #playoffs https://t.co/1zewKWkQBA

— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) May 8, 2023

Brown’s presence in Greece just over a week removed from Sacramento’s Game 7 loss to the defending champion Golden State Warriors speaks volumes, especially when the noise surrounding Vezenkov’s potential arrival in Sacramento has reached an all-time high recently.

In April, a league source told Sactown Sports 1140 that there was “a path” to bringing Vezenkov to the NBA for the 2023-24 season. Just last week, Sean Cunningham reported on Chris & Company that there was a “90 percent” chance that Vezenkov would join Sacramento this summer.

The Kings hold the 27-year-old’s NBA rights thanks to a draft day deal that took place with the Cleveland Cavaliers last June, but Vezenkov’s recent extension with Olympiacos runs through 2025.

Sacramento can pursue the forward through a buyout, although it’s still being determined what that price tag would look like at this time. According to NBA rules, teams can pay up to $825,000 to buy out foreign players’ contracts with no penalty to the player, the club, or the team’s salary cap.

To better understand what the Kings can do to bring Vezenkov over from a financial standpoint, The Kings Herald’s Tim Maxwell dove into the numbers here.

Sasha Vezenkov draws contact and makes the trey!

4 𝙋𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙋𝙇𝙖𝙮 💪#7DAYSMagicMoment pic.twitter.com/kbdy4ISAtU

— Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) October 7, 2022

With stretch forwards Harrison Barnes and Trey Lyles entering unrestricted free agency this summer, Sacramento will enter the offseason with Vezenkov near the top of the team’s priority list.

Over 37 appearances in the EuroLeague this season, Vezenkov averaged 17.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 65 percent on two-point field goals and 39 percent from beyond the three-point arc.

Becoming an NBA player is undoubtedly a goal for the Bulgarian forward, but Vezenkov recently said that he wants to join an ideal situation.

“Of course, it’s a dream for anyone who plays basketball,” Vezenkov said of playing in the NBA when asked in April. “But I don’t think about doing it just to say I did it. If the situation is good, the team wants me and we find a way and an opportunity, something can be done.”

“When I say about an opportunity, I’m talking about being able to have the ability to play and show who I am. At this moment, my mind is on making the Final Four with Olympiacos, nothing else. I want to be in Kaunas, that’s all I think about.”

Last summer, Vezenkov seemed close to signing with Sacramento but instead opted to re-up with Olympiacos on a multi-year deal. The Kings, who were on the heels of an NBA record 16th-straight season without postseason basketball, had plenty of risk on the surface for a foreign player that wanted to join a winning environment.

Not even one year later, Sacramento is coming off an incredible season that included its winningest season since 2005, first playoff appearance since 2006, and a Pacific Division title for the first time since 2003.

Here's Fox talking about Murray and Vezenkov, per @ChrisMWatkins. pic.twitter.com/FgJ2EQDEBV

— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) February 18, 2023

All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox spoke highly of Vezenkov during NBA All-Star Weekend in February, saying that he felt the forward would be “a great fit” on this roster that includes talented center Domantas Sabonis and sharp-shooting forward Keegan Murray.

“It’s an extremely wing-based league,” Fox said. “Being able to see somebody like him play and what he’s done in the EuroLeague is crazy. Just how efficient that he’s playing… Obviously, we would love for him to come over and add to our team. You can never have a team that’s too deep.”

Has the time come for Vezenkov to join Fox and the Kings? If Brown’s attendance tells us anything, it’s that Sacramento will make a serious run at the forward this spring and summer.

Potential future Sacramento Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov will play in Tuesday’s EuroLeague elimination game between Olympiacos and Fenerbahçe at 11:30 AM PST.

Sacramento Kings Offseason Schedule