Filip Petrusev reveals NBA trade shock, shares his take on NBA player status / News - Basketnews.com

Filip Petrusev expressed challenges in proving himself mid-season in the NBA: "During the season, there are no training sessions, and it's very inconvenient."

Credit: /IPA/SIPA - Scanpix Credit /IPA/SIPA - Scanpix

Following a breakout year with Crvena Zvezda in the EuroLeague, current Olympiacos Piraeus big man Filip Petrusev made the leap to the NBA, signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, which had picked him in the 2021 NBA Draft.

3-pointers this season

37%9,7Points made:9,7Accuracy:37,4%Place in standings:8Record max:15Record min:5Most made 3FGs:Isaiah CanaanTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Despite a limited appearance with the Sixers, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers and subsequently to the Sacramento Kings before being waived after just a month.

"The most difficult period for me was after the trade, because I had a great time in Philadelphia in the beginning," he admitted in an interview withNikola Stojkovic of Mozzart Sport. "I did the first training camp with them, and in the pre-season games, I got a chance, which I used very well and even moved a bit in the rotation ahead of some good players. Everything was great, and then the trade happened.

"At the moment, I feel quite good. When I came back from the USA, I was in pretty bad shape," Petrusev continued. "It probably took me a month to get back physically and get used to the team, and also to get familiar with Olympiacos' style of play, with a lot of movement and passing.

"It took time to find my place in a team that has the highest goals every year, goes after the EuroLeague Final Fours and titles, and has very high-quality players on the roster. In the last month, I have found my role [within the team]."

Petrusev also emphasized the challenges young players face when moving mid-season in the NBA.

"Literally, I had nothing to do with it [the trade], but it was some numbers and some other things about the contract that got me traded," Petrusev explained. "I got calls from the coach later, at a time when I didn't know I was going to be traded. That's how it is in the NBA; when superstars move from team to team, there is a lot of collateral damage, if you can say that, and I was one of them.

"In the NBA, when you move as a young and unproven player to another team in the middle of the season, it is very difficult to prove yourself," he added. "During the season, there are no training sessions, and it's very inconvenient. If that team is full and ready, as in my Sacramento case, you don't have time to prove yourself and find a place. Then, they send you to the G League. Everything was quite different [there] for me, who played in the EuroLeague and had success in it."

Despite being open to an NBA comeback, the 23-year-old Serbian acknowledged that his immediate future is tied to Europe.

"As for the NBA, I realized that it's not a measure of quality whether you're there or not. You're not automatically a high-level player if you're in the NBA. If there was another opportunity, of course, I would return, but after some time spent in Europe and granted a bigger role," Petrusev concluded.

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