Entering the offseason, the only thing the Sacramento Kings are focused on as an organization is finding ways to build off of their recent success. This is why targeting EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov has become a priority.
The 2022-23 season proved to be historic for Sacramento not only because head coach Mike Brown won the NBA's Coach of the Year award and general manager Monte McNair won the Executive of the Year award, but because the franchise ended their 16-year playoff skid. With De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis coming off All-Star seasons, plus the Kings have a handful of secondary talents on their roster, now is the time for them to add an X-factor like Vezenkov.
According to Jason Anderson from The Sacramento Bee, the Kings are expected to “renew” contract talks with Vezenkov and his representation in the coming weeks after failing to agree to a deal last offseason.
Sacramento acquired the draft rights to Vezenkov in 2022 and have been monitoring him closely since. Brown even flew out to Greece recently to watch the EuroLeague star in action.
Signing Vezenkov is a priority for the Kings entering the offseason and he could absolutely give them the added production they were lacking in their first-round series against the Golden State Warriors, a series they lost in Game 7.
In his MVP season with Olympiacos in Greece, Vezenkov averaged 17.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting 53.6 percent from the floor and 37.8 percent from three-point range. While they lost the EuroLeague championship to Real Madrid, he registered a championship-game record 29 points and nine rebounds.
Having the ability to be a facilitator for his team from the wing and also be another primary source of scoring, Vezenkov could immediately prove to be a core player for the Kings if they are to sign him this offseason.
Sacramento will have other business on their agenda this offseason, as the team will be prepared to discuss an extension with Sabonis. Harrison Barnes and Trey Lyles will both be free agents as well and mutual interest exists between them and the Kings.
Bringing Vezenkov over from Europe after failing to do so last season would be a huge win for the Kings, especially since they still have a mid first-round pick in this year's draft that could be utilized to improve their depth even more.
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