Vasilije Micic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Lillard, Brogdon, NAW, Micic, Jokic

January 31st, 2024 at 6:17pm CST by Rory Maher

Bucks guard Damian Lillard expects to have a positive reception from fans when he plays in Portland on Wednesday for the first time as a visitor, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (subscriber link). The longtime Trail Blazers star is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, spending his first 11 NBA seasons with the club.

“I think it will be emotional because I care,” Lillard said. “I loved playing in Portland. I loved living there and still live there. I’m not like a big crier. I don’t think I’ll be crying, and all of that. But I care. Everything I ever said about my time in Portland playing there, I meant that s–t. So, yeah, it will be.”

Lillard requested a trade last summer when he felt like he and the Blazers were moving in different directions. The 33-year-old wanted a chance to compete for championships. Milwaukee (32-15, second in the East) and Portland (14-33, 14th in the West) are at opposite ends of the standings thus far in 2023/24.

“I loved the organization. I loved everybody I went to work with every day. And I think what made it the hardest is it wasn’t a wasn’t a broken relationship. So coming back, being able to be here, I’m in a great situation,” Lillard said, per ESPN.com. “The reason it all came about in the first place was for a chance to win it all. We couldn’t be at that place at the same time. So I come back with love, and I’m excited to be back in the Moda Center.”

Here’s from the Northwest:

Trail Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon has been a popular name in trade rumors ever since he was sent to Portland as part of the Jrue Holiday deal. However, he tells Jason Quick of The Athletic that he’s pleased with his situation and isn’t seeking a trade. “I’m happy here. I’m valued here. Valued in this leadership/lead-guard role,” Brogdon told The Athletic. “And I can’t complain with that. I’m happy in Portland.” The reigning Sixth Man of the Year, who also said he hasn’t spoken to GM Joe Cronin about a potential deal, added that he didn’t necessarily feel as valued by the Celtics, who traded him after a single season.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker says he was “terrified” after being traded to the Timberwolves last February, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. The 25-year-old had already been traded two times in 2022 (to Portland and Utah), and wasn’t playing a regular role with the Jazz last season. Alexander-Walker wondered how he’d be able to crack the rotation for the Wolves, but wound up becoming a key contributor after injuries to Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels down the stretch. He re-signed with Minnesota on a two-year, $9MM contract over the summer.
Former EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic doesn’t seem to mind his lack of playing time thus far with the Thunder, per Eurohoops.net. Micic won back-to-back EuroLeague titles (2021 and 2022) with Anadolu Efes. “From the outside for people that follow my career, maybe some things are not smooth and easygoing for me,” Micic said. “But that’s not important to me. The most important is my current feeling, and my current feeling is showing me that everything makes sense, everything was with a reason. … Everything in Europe that I achieved was not given to me. I had to work for that. Nobody gave me anything there. So that’s how I learned it.” The 30-year-old NBA rookie is averaging 3.2 PPG and 2.3 APG in 11.8 MPG over 26 appearances with Oklahoma City this season.
Nuggets star Nikola Jokic will be sidelined for Wednesday’s contest in Oklahoma City due to lower back pain, but it’s not expected to be a long-term injury, head coach Michael Malone told reporters prior to the game (Twitter link via Bennett Durando of The Denver Post). “I wouldn’t say anything that I think is gonna be a long-term concern. … That back pain was not improving, wasn’t getting any better, so it was just determined by medical staff to try to get that back right, rehab and treatment,” Malone said.

Thunder Notes: Williams, Micic, Dort

October 17th, 2023 at 9:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Thunder reserve big man Jaylin Williams will miss some early regular season games due a hamstring strain suffered in practice, Brett Dawson tweets. Williams will be reevaluated in a couple of weeks.

Williams projects as Chet Holmgren‘s backup this season after starting 36 of 49 games last season during his rookie campaign. A second-round pick in 2022, Williams averaged 5.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 18.7 minutes.

Olivier Sarr and Ousmane Dieng could see more action until Williams returns.

We have more on the Thunder:

Vasilije Micic has noticed some major differences between the EuroLeague and NBA, as Eurohoops.net relays. “It’s open space, with a much higher pace of play compared to the EuroLeague,” he said. “The paint is more open, providing a lot of opportunities for creative players to penetrate and gain an advantage, especially for skilled ball handlers. It’s also a bit easier to create from that spacing. I’m still trying to adjust. Everything is still new for me, but my teammates are helping me learn as quickly as possible. I believe that, together, we will get there eventually.” The former EuroLeague MVP signed a three-year, $23.5MM contract with Oklahoma City in July.
Luguentz Dort scored a team-high 24 points during the team’s exhibition game Thursday in Montreal. It was an emotional homecoming for the Montreal native, he told Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. He spoke in French to the crowd prior to the contest. “I just told them that we were honored to be here,” Dort said, “As a Montreal guy, it was an honor for me to bring my team here and play in front of them.”
Get all the details on the big Thunder-Rockets trade here.

And-Ones: Dybantsa, Weatherspoon, Breakout Candidates, More

October 11th, 2023 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

A.J. Dybantsa, a 6’8″ wing from Massachusetts and one of the top high school prospects in the country, intends to reclassify to the 2025 recruiting class, as Jeff Borzello of ESPN.com writes. Dybantsa had previously been the No. 1 player in ESPN’s 2026 recruiting rankings. Now, he becomes the favorite to be selected first overall in the 2026 NBA draft, according to Borzello.

As Borzello explains, Dybantsa, Cooper Flagg, and Cameron Boozer are widely considered the best high school prospects in the country. When ESPN asked 20 college coaches and NBA evaluators to rank the trio this summer, Dybantsa earned seven first-place votes and placed second behind Flagg, who is the frontrunner to be the top pick in the 2025 draft.

“Dybantsa is just the most complete,” one coach told ESPN. “Scores at all three levels. Super athletic. He’s the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft whenever he goes.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the league:

Former Pelicans assistant Teresa Weatherspoon will be the next head coach of the WNBA’s Chiacgo Sky, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The former WNBA star was an assistant in New Orleans for four seasons before the team parted ways with her in June.
In John Schuhmann’s general manager poll, two players received more votes than Magic forward Franz Wagner for this season’s top breakout candidate. However, Wagner sits atop the list compiled by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who spoke to 25 executives around the NBA and has shared the top nine vote-getters. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Rockets guard Jalen Green round out Scotto’s top three.
John Hollinger of The Athletic lists a dozen under-the-radar NBA players whom he expects to have a real impact this season, including Celtics wing Oshae Brissett, Nuggets forward Peyton Watson, Thunder guard Vasilije Micic, and Pelicans forward Naji Marshall.
The Capital City Go-Go have traded the returning rights to Isaiah Mucius to the Delaware Blue Coats along with a 2024 first-round pick and 2023 second-round pick in the G League draft. In exchange, the Sixers‘ G League affiliate has sent Michael Foster Jr.‘s returning rights to the Wizards‘ affiliate, the Go-Go announced today (via Twitter).

Northwest Notes: Knox, Reath, Wolves, NAW, Thunder, Micic

October 6th, 2023 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Knox‘s new contract with the Trail Blazers is an Exhibit 10 deal, Hoops Rumors has learned. That doesn’t mean Knox won’t have an opportunity to make Portland’s regular season roster, but if he does, he’ll be on a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary contract that only covers a single season.

If Knox is waived before the season begins, he’d be eligible to earn a bonus worth $75K if he signs a G League contract and spends at least 60 days with the Rip City Remix, Portland’s affiliate. Exhibit 10 contracts can also be converted into two-way deals, but that won’t be an option for Knox, who has five years of NBA service, making him ineligible to be a two-way player.

Most of the Trail Blazers’ recent free agent additions also received Exhibit 10 contracts. One exception is big man Duop Reath, whose deal includes an Exhibit 9 clause but not Exhibit 10 language. That suggests he may not be a candidate to join the Remix if he doesn’t make Portland’s regular season roster.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

The Timberwolves, who defeated Dallas on Thursday, are taking the preseason seriously, recognizing that it’s a good opportunity to establish early chemistry with Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert healthy, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “If we don’t get something out of these games, you’re risking putting yourself behind the eight ball,” said head coach Chris Finch, adding that the team is looking to figure out its identity.
One encouraging sign from the Timberwolves‘ preseason opener was that Nickeil Alexander-Walker picked up right where he left off last season, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune, who notes that the guard became a starter and important defender in the postseason. Alexander-Walker signed a two-year, $9MM contract in July to remain in Minnesota.
Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman rounds up the highlights from the Thunder‘s media day earlier this week, passing along the most notable comments from head coach Mark Daigneault and many Oklahoma City players, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
In a separate story for The Oklahoman, Joe Mussatto goes more in depth on Vasilije Micic‘s first session with local reporters, sharing the explanation the new Thunder wing provided for why he felt the time was right to make the move from Europe to the NBA. According to Micic, he had serious talks with the Thunder a couple years ago, but felt he still had something to prove in the EuroLeague. “I wanted to come somewhere that someone knows me and someone really wanted me, and this is what happened this summer,” he said.

Nikola Jokic Reportedly Won’t Play In 2023 World Cup

July 23rd, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

Following a championship run with the Nuggets this spring, star center Nikola Jokic won’t suit up for Serbia in this summer’s World Cup, according to a report from Dejan Stankovic of Mozzart Sport.

As Stankovic details, there had been skepticism that Jokic would be available for Serbia at the World Cup after he played into mid-June with Denver. Mozzart Sport’s reporting indicates that the two-time NBA MVP has informed the Serbian national team of his decision and will get some extra rest in advance of training camp.

New Thunder guard Vasilije Micic – who signed a three-year contract with Oklahoma City earlier this month – may also skip the World Cup as he prepares for his first season in the NBA. There’s less certainty about Micic’s status at this point, but Stankovic suggests the longtime EuroLeague star will likely follow Jokic’s lead and decline to participate, leaving Serbia without another key piece of its projected rotation.

The FIBA World Cup is generally viewed as a less prestigious international event than the Olympics, so stars who miss this summer’s event in Asia may still end up playing for their national teams in 2024 in Paris. The U.S. World Cup team, for instance, is headlined by a younger group of stars such as Brandon Ingram, Anthony Edwards, and Tyrese Haliburton, but Team USA will likely have more big-name players available in France next year.

Still, non-U.S. stars are often more inclined to compete in non-Olympic international events than top American players are, so the fact that Serbia will likely be missing two of its best players is a tough blow for the team.

Serbia didn’t qualify for the previous Olympics in Tokyo and isn’t a shoo-in for Paris either — the club will be looking to improve upon its fifth-place finish in the 2019 World Cup. Serbia would have to finish as one of the top two European teams at this year’s World Cup in order to automatically qualify for the 2024 Olympics.

Contract Details: Yurtseven, Micic, Jones, Craig, Banton, Bazley, Petrusev

July 19th, 2023 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz‘s deal with Omer Yurtseven is a two-year contract that features a partial guarantee for 2023/24 and is non-guaranteed in ’24/25, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

As previously reported, Yurtseven’s first-year salary is $2.8MM. His partial guarantee for the coming season is worth half that amount ($1.4MM), tweets Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. The big man’s deal has a descending structure, Hoops Rumors has learned, so assuming he remains under contract through the first year, his cap hit for ’24/25 will dip to $2.66MM.

Here are more details on a few recently signed contracts from around the NBA:

Vasilije Micic‘s three-year, $23.5MM contract with the Thunder includes a team option in the third year, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
The Spurs signed Tre Jones to a two-year contract with a descending structure, Hoops Rumors has learned. The guaranteed base salaries are worth approximately $9.9MM and $9.1MM, for a total of $19MM. Jones can earn an extra $1MM in unlikely incentives to increase the total value of the deal to $20MM.
Torrey Craig‘s two-year deal with the Bulls, which includes a second-year player option, is for the veteran’s minimum.
Dalano Banton‘s two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Celtics is partially guaranteed for $200K in 2023/24. His guarantee will increase to a little over $1MM (50% of his salary) if he remains on the roster beyond the first day of the regular season. His second year is a team option.
Darius Bazley‘s one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Nets is non-guaranteed. He’ll receive a $200K partial guarantee if he makes the opening-night roster. That partial guarantee would increase to $700K if he’s still under contract beyond December 15.
The Sixers signed Filip Petrusev to a two-year, minimum-salary contract that is non-guaranteed in the second season. The first year is partially guaranteed for $559,782, which is half of the rookie minimum (and the equivalent of the full-season salary for a player on a two-way contract).

Thunder Sign Vasilije Micic To Three-Year Deal

July 17th, 2023 at 5:07pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 17: The Thunder have officially signed Micic, according to a team press release.

JULY 1: European star Vasilije Micic has agreed to a three-year, $23.5MM contract with the Thunder, agent Jason Ranne tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Micic traveled to Oklahoma City a few weeks ago to discuss a potential contract with the Thunder. A report last week from Christos Tsaltas of Sportal.gr stated that Micic was “determined” to play in the NBA in 2023/24, and now he’ll be coming stateside on a lucrative multiyear deal.

Micic, 29, was selected by Philadelphia with the 52nd overall pick in the 2014 draft. The Sixers traded his draft rights in 2020 to the Thunder, who have held them for the last three years.

The 6’5″ guard has been playing in Europe since 2010 and has been a member of Anadolu Efes since 2018. He won back-to-back EuroLeague championships with the club in 2021 and 2022 and was named the EuroLeague’s Most Valuable Player in 2021. He and Anadolu Efes have also claimed Turkish League titles in 2019, 2021, and 2023, with Micic earning Finals MVP honors this year.

The Thunder already have several young guards on their roster, but they seem quite high on the Serbian veteran. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), several teams trade to acquire Micic’s rights during last month’s NBA draft, including the Jazz, but OKC decided to retain him.

Micic averaged 16.0 points, 5.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 31 EuroLeague contests last season, posting a .435/.357/.870 shooting line in 31 games (31.3 minutes).

The Thunder may have their room exception, which can now be used on signings of up to three years, earmarked for Micic.

Vasilije Micic Reportedly Seeking Move To NBA

June 25th, 2023 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

EuroLeague star Vasilije Micic appears to be getting serious about finally making the move stateside.

Christos Tsaltas of Sportal.gr (Google Translate of Greek report) reports that Micic is “determined” to play in the NBA next season, while Anadolu Efes general manager Alper Yilmaz said that Micic – the star of the Turkish team – “really wants to go to the NBA” (story via Eurohoops).

Micic, 29, was selected by Philadelphia with the 52nd overall pick in the 2014 draft. The Sixers traded his draft rights in 2020 to the Thunder, who have held them for the last three years.

The 6’5″ guard has been playing in Europe since 2010 and has been a member of Anadolu Efes since 2018. He won a pair of EuroLeague championships with the club in 2021 and 2022 and was named the EuroLeague’s Most Valuable Player in 2021. He and Anadolu Efes have also claimed Turkish League titles in 2019, 2021, and 2023, with Micic earning Finals MVP honors this year.

Although Micic has reportedly mulled the idea of making the move to the NBA in the past, he seems more serious this time around, having recently traveled to Oklahoma City to meet with the Thunder.

According to Tsaltas, Micic also seems to have softened on some of his past demands — a year ago, a report suggested he was seeking a salary in the neighborhood of the full mid-level exception and wanted to join a legitimate contender and play a regular rotation role. Tsaltas suggests the Serbian is more flexible on all three of those points now, though he still isn’t expected to settle for a two-way deal or minimum-salary contract.

It remains to be seen whether there will be a spot for Micic on a Thunder roster that is already loaded with young, up-and-coming players and will be adding another lottery pick (Cason Wallace) to that group this summer.

Asked about Micic’s visit to OKC, head of basketball operations Sam Presti said it was good to touch base with the 29-year-old, but was noncommittal about the club’s plans for him (Twitter video link via Clemente Almanza of The Thunder Wire).

The Thunder could trade Micic’s rights in order to get him to an NBA team willing to sign him this offseason, but would presumably be looking to extract an asset or two in any deal.

Northwest Notes: Micic, Williams, Holmgren, Wolves, Blazers’ Pick

June 19th, 2023 at 7:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic is in Oklahoma City to discuss a potential contract with the Thunder, Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net reports. Negotiations can commence after the draft, Barkas adds.

Micic, who plays for Anadolu Efes, hired the Wasserman Media Group as his new representative in March. Micic, whose draft rights are owned by the Thunder, is a two-time Euroleague Final Four MVP. However, it’s unclear whether the Thunder would have a role for the 29-year-old guard, whose rights could be traded if he wants to make the jump to the NBA.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Coming off an excellent rookie season, Jalen Williams will play in Summer League games for the Thunder in Salt Lake City next month, Thunder reporter Rylan Stiles tweets. Ousmane Dieng will also play and it’s “very possible” Chet Holmgren, who missed all of last season with a foot injury, could participate.
The Timberwolves hosted six prospects in a pre-draft workout on Monday, the team tweets. They took a closer look at Tosan Evbuomwan (Princeton), Jazian Gortman (Overtime Elite), D’Moi Hodge (Missouri), Gabe Kalscheur (Iowa State), Mojave King (G League Ignite) and Jalen Slawson (Furman).
Rumors have been flying that the Trail Blazers will deal their lottery pick. Bill Oram of The Oregonian argues that the Blazers need to hold onto the No. 3 overall selection and choose their next star, regardless of whether Damian Lillard remains with the team or requests a trade.

Northwest Notes: Jokic, Vucevic, Porter Jr., Micic, Prince

March 7th, 2023 at 10:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls center Nikola Vucevic doesn’t think Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic should be penalized for being a prior Most Valuable Player award winner when voters make their selections this season, he told K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

“I think he deserves to get another one, the way he’s playing. I think you take him out of that team, it’s not even close to the same team,” Vučević said of the Nuggets’ franchise player. “The things that he does, you look at his stats, the efficiency he’s playing at, it’s very impressive. And it’s not like he’s putting up numbers and they’re not winning. They’re (25-0) when he has a triple-double. And he plays in a winning way. He makes the right play. He doesn’t force. He doesn’t try to do something just to do it. It’s all within the flow of the game. It’s winning basketball.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Nuggets may finally reach the Finals this season in large part because of Michael Porter Jr’s maturity, Harrison Wind of TheDNVR.com writes. Porter has made himself a force at both ends of the floor after teams previously tried to take advantage of his defensive shortcomings. “I think Michael Porter has been just tremendous on both ends of the floor all season long,” coach Michael Malone said.
Serbian guard Vasilije Micic has hired the Wasserman Media Group as his new representative, HoopsHype tweets. Micic, whose draft rights are owned by the Thunder, is a two-time Euroleague Final Four MVP and is considered the best guard in Europe. However, it’s unclear whether the Thunder would have a role for the 29-year-old if he pursued an NBA career next season and he could be traded if he wants to make the jump.
Taurean Prince‘s value to the Timberwolves is reflected in their won-loss record, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. They are 24-17 when he plays and 10-16 when he doesn’t. “He’s like the ultimate glue guy with a little bit extra spice to it,” guard Mike Conley said. “You think he’s just three-and-D and all of a sudden, coming off pin downs, he’s making plays for guys. He’s being a leader. … He’s got a full game to him that’s really big for our second unit.” Prince has a non-guaranteed salary of $7.455MM next season and Minnesota has to make a decision on his contract status before free agency.