European star Sasha Vezenkov followed by Sacramento and is seriously considering making a leap to the NBA this summer

Sasha Vezenkov has been on fire this season in Europe, taking Greek squad Olympiacos Piraeus all the way to the EuroLeague Final Four this year, and becoming a clear candidate for the competition’s MVP honor. 

Reports suggest that the Bulgarian is seriously considering to play NBA basketball this next campaign and is already negotiating with the Sacramento Kings, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. The sport analyst announced that a deal between both sides seem to be “trending toward inevitable.”

Sasha Vezenkov to the Kings is trending toward inevitable.

What will be Sasha’s role on the team next season? pic.twitter.com/8jwVD31d5W

— Sac Kings Talk (@CapCityCrown) May 15, 2023

Stein’s main source is a reporter with great reputation for Sacramento named Sean Cunningham, who declared earlier that the Kings are 90% committed to signing the foward star.

What’s stops him for making it to the NBA? Vezenkov is bound by a long-term contract by the Greek basketball club until 2025, even though he has an NBA out clause as soon as this season is over. This is the second time that the player has drawn attention from the California franchise, but last year the player decided to stay with the Reds and perform this MVP-contending season.

The 27-year-old might be more interested this time around, especially considering how much the Kings have grown this past tournament, making it to the playoffs for the first time in 17 years and almost eliminating the reining champs Golden State in the first round.

Vezenkov just came from a fierce clash against Turkey’s Fenerbahce Beko Instanbul, guiding Olympiacos to reach a second consecutive Final Four after winning the series 3-2.

Now the Bulgarian foward is now concentrated on the EuroLeague’s next stage in Kaunas, which will happen from May 19 to May 21. The Reds are preparing to face Mike James’ AS Monaco in the first semifinal this Friday (5pm CEST).

Coach Mike Brown travelled to Europe to witness the player perform in person

This last Game 5 in Piraeus against Fenerbahce was witnessed by Sacramento’s head coach Mike Brown.

“I like what I see, he leaves room for his teammates, he cuts well, he shoots well from three, he has toughness, he fights for rebounds,” the NBA Coach of the Year said of Vezenkov last week.

“The way he shoots from the three-point range is something we like, he handles the space very well, he’s quick, he’ll be an effective player in the NBA at a high level, especially with the toughness he shows,” Brown said about his potential. “He’s fearless and I love that.”

Nevertheless, when the trainer was consulted over the possibility of bringing the Bulgarian star to California, he said that the process will go step-by-step.

“We want the season to end first, and then we will talk to him. We are extremely excited about him, we made a trade to acquire his rights in the summer. It’s important that so many people from the team have come to see him in person, there is also the CEO of the Kings here and the European scout,” Brown explained.

“For us, it’s a priority, but we will see at the end of the season.”