If Sasha Vezenkov comes over to the NBA anytime soon, it’s going to be via a costly buyout after the forward extended his deal with Olympiacos in Greece. Vezenkov inked an extension through 2024-25, which will see his salary rise to nearly $2 million by the end of the deal.
Vezenkov’s NBA draft rights are held by the Sacramento Kings. There were rumors that Sacramento planned to bring the 6-foot-9 forward over to the NBA this past offseason. The Kings had even carved out a salary slot for Vezenkov out of their MLE, before giving the rest to Malik Monk. He ultimately chose to re-sign with Olympiacos and stay in Greece. Vezenkov’s new deal reportedly includes an NBA buyout in the range of $1 million to $1.5 million.
The Kings acquired Vezenkov’s draft rights from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a trade ahead of the 2022 NBA Draft. The deal saw the Cavs move up to select Isaiah Mobley at that year’s draft. Cleveland had acquired Vezenkov’s draft rights in the trade that brought Jarrett Allen to Cleveland.
In his fourth year with Olympiacos, the 27-year-old forward is turning in his best season. Vezenkov has averaged 18.5 points on 60/50/85 shooting splits. He’s also 6.7 rebound and snagged 1.3 steals per game.