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The Toronto Raptors recently pulled off a trade with the Sacramento Kings ahead of the start of free agency. After the Kings drafted combo guard Devin Carter with the 13th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, they decided to change up their roster slightly and cut down on some long-term costs in a trade with Toronto. As a result, Davion Mitchell, former EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov, and the draft rights to Jamal Shead (Pick No. 45) were traded to the Raptors in exchange for forward Jalen McDaniels.
By making this trade, the Kings were able to cut roughly $8.3 million in salary, which made many wonder if this was a move made as a precursor to a bigger plan Sacramento had. So far, that has not been the case, as it appears Mitchell was on the move due to the arrival of Carter. Vezenkov is a completely different story, as his time with the Kings came to an end after just one season due to his overall lack of playing time.
After seeing the court just 42 times during the regular season for an average of 12.2 minutes per game, the EuroLeague star grew frustrated with his role and preferred a change of scenery. Ultimately, the Kings gave him what he wanted by trading Vezenkov to Toronto. However, there are now a lot of questions being asked about whether Vezenkov is even a part of the Raptors organization anymore.
As reports began to surface about his time with the Kings coming to an end, there were rumors about Vezenkov wanting to return to Europe and join Olympiacos, a premier Greek basketball club that he spent years with prior to his transition to the NBA. Vezenkov was named the 2023 EuroLeague MVP while he was with Olympiacos.
Now, it appears as if Vezenkov has an agreement in place with Olympiacos to return after just one NBA season with the Kings. The only problem is that the Raptors acquired him from the Kings. Therefore, Toronto controls the remaining two years of the three-year, $19.9 million contract he signed with the Kings last summer.
Will Vezenkov remain with Raptors?
One of the only ways for the European star to leave the NBA is for the Raptors to waive him, which would incur an immediate dead-cap hit to their roster. At this moment, it doesn't appear as if this is an option Toronto is exploring, as Vezenkov was an asset they got in this trade with the Kings. The other way Vezenkov could be released from his contract in the NBA would be for the EuroLeague team to buy him out of his contract with the Raptors.
What direction the Raptors go is a big mystery right now, especially considering that the team would like to have Vezenkov on their roster for training camp, according to Sportsnet's Michael Grange.
Due to the fact that he isn't a free agent, Vezenkov can't just leave the NBA and join Olympiacos. There may be reports of an agreement between the two sides, but Toronto still owns the rights to him for now.
Whether or not Vezenkov honors his NBA contract with his new team is yet to be seen. This is a very awkward situation for both parties, as the Raptors were under the impression that Vezenkov would welcome this change when they made the trade with the Kings. Now, it appears as if this is not the case.
In the event that Vezenkov is released from his contract with the Raptors, all indications point in the direction of him returning to Greece.
