Sacramento Kings reach agreement with Sasha Vezenkov
Jul 1, 2023, 6:59 AM | Updated: 9:22 am
(Photo by Tolga Adanali/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images)
(Photo by Tolga Adanali/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images)
It happened. It finally happened. At long last, Sasha Vezenkov is a Sacramento King.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Kings have reached an agreement with Vezenkov on a deal that will bring the reigning EuroLeague MVP to Northern California for the 2023-24 season.
Per the report, Vezenkov’s deal is for $20 million over three years (through the 2025-26 season).
Sasha Vezenkov – a 6-foot-9 reigning EuroLeague MVP – has agreed on a three-year, $20 million deal with the Sacramento Kings, his agents Mark Bartelstein and George Roussakis of @PrioritySports and Nick Lotsos of Team Lotsos tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/zCVsT9gnWk
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2023
Vezenkov, a 6’9 forward with a quick and lethal stroke from beyond the arc, had been rumored to be interested in joining Sacramento since members of the Kings’ coaching staff and front office began traveling to Greece to watch the 27-year-old play in the EuroLeague playoffs.
After months of speculation, Vezenkov will indeed jump to the NBA once the Kings post the $1-1.5 million buyout fee to Olympiacos B.C.
Over 37 appearances in the EuroLeague and Greek League 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.
The Kings hold Vezenkov’s NBA rights thanks to a draft day deal with Cleveland last June that netted the Cavaliers the 49th overall pick in the 2022 draft (Isaiah Mobley was later selected).
Sacramento general manager Monte McNair has made use of this early portion of the NBA offseason, signing forward Harrison Barnes to a three-year extension, bringing back Trey Lyles on a multi-year deal, and now reaching an agreement with the two-time Greek League MVP.
The Kings also reached an agreement with the Indiana Pacers on Friday that would send guard Chris Duarte to Sacramento, but that deal has yet to become official, meaning there still could be more moves to come from McNair.
Until the Duarte trade becomes official, the Kings have around $18 million in cap space with some positions that need filling.
Finding a backup for Domantas Sabonis and a third-string point guard are likely on McNair’s to-do list, but the signing of Vezenkov was arguably one of the most critical aspects of Sacramento’s offseason.
Vezenkov, who will be in a Kings jersey through the 2025-26 season, joins Barnes, De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Keegan Murray (will be a restricted free agent), Mike Brown and McNair on identical contract lengths.
Sacramento has most of its core locked in for the next three years. What’s next for the Kings as we move deeper into the offseason?
The remaining cap space flexibility keeps the Sacramento Kings in the mix for some of the more notable names that remain on the free agent market.
Sacramento Kings Offseason Schedule
- Friday, June 30– Free Agent negotiating period begins
- Monday, July 3rd & Wednesday, July 5th – California Classic Summer League at Golden 1 Center
- Thursday, July 6– Free Agents can begin signing deals
- Friday, July 7–Monday, July 17– NBA Summer League in Las Vegas
- August TBD– 2023-24 NBA regular season schedule release
- September TBD– Sacramento Kings training camp begins
Thank you for reading SactownSports.com. Follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
