If you have kept up with the Sacramento Kings over the past year, you likely have heard the name Sasha Vezenkov numerous times. The Bulgarian national has made many headlines recently, due to him finally signing for the Kings and being named EuroLeague MVP for the 2022-23 season.
But aside from all the recent headlines you may have seen, there still remains a question for many: who really is Sasha Vezenkov?
Let’s get to know one of the Kings’ best signings this off-season.
Quick information
Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, here is some quick information about Aleksandar “Sasha” Vezenkov.
- 27 years old
- 6-foot-9 stretch forward
- Comes to Sacramento after playing for Olympiacos (Greece)
- Averaged 17.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists (per game) (2022-23 season)
- Shot 65.5% from 2-point field goals, 37.8% from 3-point field goals
- Drafted in 2017 by the Brooklyn Nets with the 57th pick
- Draft rights were traded to the Kings in the summer of 2022.
- Signed with the Kings for a reported $20 million/3-year deal
Sasha’s time in Europe
Vezenkov was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, but holds nationality in two other countries as well – Greece and Bulgaria, electing to represent the latter internationally.
While Sasha obviously was a standout in his younger years, he officially got a start at professional basketball in 2011, when he debuted for the Greek team Aris Thessaloniki at the age of 15. Here he won multiple awards, being named the Greek League’s Young Player of the Year three years in a row from 2013-2015, also being the MVP in 2015.
After that season, Vezenkov made a move to Barcelona, where his career was a bit underwhelming, but won a league title and was named to a young player team of the year.
Fast forward to 2018, when Vezenkov made the switch from Barcelona to his most recent team, Olympiacos. This is where the Sasha Vezenkov name came to boom. He helped Olympiacos overcome many hurdles, including winning the 2022 Greek League to end a six-year drought for one of Greece’s top teams. Most recently, he was named EuroLeague MVP but unfortunately finished second in the league after a heartbreaking loss to Real Madrid in the championship that ended 78-79.
Sasha’s commitment issues to the United States
While Vezenkov has finally signed to the Kings, ending a six-year saga of “Will he come, will he not come?”, it is clear that Sasha has not been too particularly interested in America in the past.
In 2013, Vezenkov committed to playing college basketball at Xavier University, the same school rookie teammate Colby Jones played for. However, Sasha ultimately ended up deciding not to make the move to the United States and elected to remain in Greece, where he truly made a big name for himself.
In 2016, Vezenkov declared for the NBA draft after his first season with Barcelona. However, he withdrew his name just 10 days before the NBA draft on the June 13th deadline for international players.
In 2017, after he was finally drafted late in the second round by the Brooklyn Nets, Vezenkov never made the switch to the NBA. After multiple teams had failed to sign him for years, Vezenkov’s draft rights were traded to the Sacramento Kings in 2022 during the NBA draft. However, there was no agreement between the teams and Sasha ended up playing another year in Europe, aiming for more titles with Olympiacos.
Clearly, Sasha had hesitations to come to the United States considering it took 10 years, but the Sacramento Kings were able to achieve what other teams couldn’t when they signed Vezenkov last Saturday.
How will Sasha Vezenkov fit into the Kings’ lineup?
Sasha Vezenkov is a big-time prospect. He’s proven he can play, has a fantastic release, is a deadly shooter, plays great defense – he really can do it all. However, the biggest test will come in the NBA.
Sasha is a 6-foot-9 stretch forward, who could dominate at both small forward and power forward. Vezenkov will likely start on the bench, but could easily become a starter as time progresses and if he does well in an NBA setting. This could mean we see a shift to the wing for standout rookie Keegan Murray as Vezenkov takes over the four. We also could see a straight-up replacement at three over Harrison Barnes. Regardless, letting Sasha play outside the arc will address many of the Kings’ recent struggles at wing.
Sasha’s potential role was also hinted at by Kings GM Monte McNair in a 2022 press conference following the acquisition of Vezenkov’s draft rights:
"“Sasha is one of the best shooters who’s got great positional size in one of the best leagues in the world. He’s already producing, that made it easy for us. Sasha is a guy we see fitting with [Sabonis]’ passing, with Fox’s ability to collapse defenses, just another guy who can stand there and hit shots. We all know how important that is in the league these days, we all just saw the playoffs.”"
McNair’s statement shows the Sacramento Kings had their eyes on Vezenkov well before the trade for his draft rights. Monte McNair knows what the team needs to succeed, and is making the plays for those roles now. This addition could prove to be a fantastic investment by Sacramento as they gear up for a run at an NBA championship next year.
The Sacramento Kings should target this rising NBA star
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