De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis reflect on Vezenkov's potential addition to Sacramento / News - Basketnews.com

De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis said they're eager to see Sasha Vezenkov join the Sacramento Kings in the near future.

Credit: Olympiacos BC Credit Olympiacos BC

The Sacramento Kings don't seem willing to miss a beat in what Sasha Vezenkov is doing in Europe withOlympiacos Piraeus.

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The NBA franchise has sent their assistant coach Jay Triano to Crete to watch the Greek Cup Final 8 and keep an eye on the player, whose NBA rights are owned by the California-based club.

"We have his rights in Sacramento, but I've never seen him play live. With the All-Star break in the NBA, it's an opportunity to come here and watch him. I've heard how good he is," Trianotold Greek public TV station ERT.

Vezenkov, 27, drew attention from the Kings in the past off-season but decided to stay in Europe for his fifth - and most productive so far- campaign with Olympiacos.

After a breakout season in 2021-22 that saw him earn All-EuroLeague First Team honors, the former FC Barcelona forward has taken his game to another level in this current EuroLeague campaign. The Bulgarian NT member is the EuroLeague's second-leading scorer (18.4 ppg.), the best rebounder (7.4 rpg.) and he also has the highest average PIR (23.5).

It's clear that the Kings are beginning to look ahead and want Vezenkov to be part of their future.

Sacramento acquired the rights to Vezenkov right before the 2022 NBA Draft when the Kings sent the No. 49 pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Kings guard De'Aaron Fox did show excitement about the prospect of having the 27-year-old be part of what the franchise is building.

"I've actually looked at a film of [Vezenkov]," Fox told reporters during the All-Star weekend.

"And it's funny because I tell Keegan [Murray] this a lot. I'm like 'If we want to win the championship, at some point, you know, either you're going to be one of those guys, or we're going to find one of those guys.'

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At the end of the day, I think it's an extremely wing-based league, where most of the time the better teams have one of the better wings in the league," Fox argued.

"So being able to see someone like him play and what he's done in the EuroLeague is crazy. And it's just how efficiently he's been playing. Obviously, we would love for him to come over and just add to our team; I feel like you can never have a team that's too deep," he added.

Fox believes that the former second-round selection by the Brooklyn Nets in 2017 would be an ideal fit in the Kings' lineup.

"I think [Vezenkov] would be a great fit," Fox continued.

"I’ve seen where he doesn't dribble a lot. He's a guy who can play out of the short, out of the mid-post. He shoots the ball extremely well. For one, if you can shoot the ball well in this league, there's a spot for you."

However, going for what can be Olympiacos' fourth straight domestic title makes Vezenkov narrow down his focus only on what happens in Crete.

"That doesn't concern me," he replied when Triano's presence was brought up.

"I'm honored and I feel respected, but that's all there is to it. All I care about is my team, us leaving Crete happy and with a trophy in our hands," he said.

Jay Triano also said that he is aware of Vezenkov's extension with the Reds, which the player signed in early 2023. The forward had previously penned a deal to stay in Piraeus until 2024, but his new contract runs through 2025.

The dealgrants Vezenkov a bigger salary. In return, Olympiacos will receive a larger buyout if the star player leaves for the NBA.

"I heard that [about extension]," Triano pointed out. "That's why it will be up to the front office and Sasha to decide what's best for him."

Vezenkov has come to normalize the fact that the Kings are steadily keeping an eye on him, no matter the location he's in.

"As long as they have my rights, it makes sense that they monitor what I'm doing,' he explained. "But it's still February and all I care about is Olympiacos."

However, apart from Triano and Fox, another Sacramento Kings member has been watching Vezenkov's feats in Europe.

All-Star center Domantas Sabonis said he's watched his potential teammate this season and called him "a great player, very talented."

"He's playing great in Europe with Olympiacos. They're doing amazing in EuroLeague. I don’t know what he's thinking, but we obviously would love to have him here," Sabonis said via Eurohoops.

For the Lithuanian international, things are simple and can get even more so if Vezenkov is added to the roster.

"He can shoot the ball. The more shooters, the better for us," he concluded.

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