BasketNews: Club teams with the highest #EuroBasket2022 representation 👊 🇹🇷 Fenerbahce: 6️⃣ 🇪🇸 Real Madrid: 6️⃣ 🇮🇹 Armani 6️⃣ 🇸🇮 Cedevita Olimpija: 6️⃣ 🇬🇷 Olympiacos: 5️⃣ 🇹🇷 Anadolu Efes: 5️⃣ 🇪🇸 Barcelona: 5️⃣ 🇪🇸 Valencia: 5️⃣ 🇮🇹 Virtus: 5️⃣ 🇩🇪 ALBA: 5️⃣ 🇲🇪 Buducsnost: 5️⃣ 🇳🇱 Heroes Den Bosch 5️⃣
Anadolu Efes Rumors
Serbia was the winner of the first 2022 Supercup Semifinal, edging out Italy, 90-86, Friday. Back-to-back NBA MVP Nikola Jokic was the difference-maker in Hamburg, Germany. His team-high 18 points included the go-ahead bucket with 1:05 left in the exciting prep game. Additional production of ten rebounds and five assists in a 24-minute showing for the Joker. Captain Vladimir Lucic, Anadolu Efes superstar Vasilije Micic, and CSKA’s Nikola Milutinov all contributed 15 points each.
14 Aug
Vasilije Micic cost too much for NBA teams?
Any team looking to acquire Micic would have to give Oklahoma City some draft compensation—preferably a first-rounder, though it’s possible the price could have been brought down. “I think that was where it was a little too much for teams,” one Western Conference executive said. “No one wanted to give up a pick plus everything else it would take. The guy can play, I think he’d be good in the NBA. But no one wanted to give up picks and money for him.”
First, there was Micic himself. To ditch Efes and head to the NBA, Micic wanted a few things—a salary in the $6-7 million per year range, a starting spot (or, at least, starter-type minutes), and a role with a contending team. That eliminated a chunk of NBA interest off the bat.
Aiming to provide a boost to Serbia in upcoming international fixtures, Vasilije Micic backpedaled to earlier in the offseason and developments regarding his NBA status. The Anadolu Efes star talked to the news outlet Sport Klub. “The deadline was on 20 July and I did not change teams,” he confirmed the time constraint on moving his talents to the NBA this summer, per Google Translate, “I stayed at Efes. But even before the deadline, I was at peace with any possible development. Everything is so good for me, I wouldn’t want to say something and possibly damage my relationship with the team.”
“The next step would be the NBA. It did not happen but I am calm with everything,” he added, “I felt some doubt from the NBA. That doubt expands to everybody in a similar position, not me exclusively. Unless you are Nikola Jokic or Luka Doncic.” Coming out of Mega Vizura in 2014, he was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 52nd pick of the NBA draft. His NBA rights were acquired by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2020. Meanwhile, he emerged as a dominant player in Europe after joining Efes in 2018, following stints at Zalgiris, Tofas, Crvena Zvezda Telekom, and FC Bayern Munich. “I really don’t think I need to prove myself there,” he suggested previewing a potential move to the NBA in the future, “The current situation is good for me. If I go to the NBA one day, it will happen or it won’t.”
