Spurs should consider interest in two former Euroleague MVPs

Spurs have been pioneers in sourcing talent overseas. In previous years, under the leadership of Gregg Popovich, they explored the FIBA game well and added rotation players who learned their trade in Europe.

Since then, the league has caught up and the players are on the teams’ radars very early. More and more international prospects are being drafted and quickly joining the league, and those who cannot perform at the highest level are being pushed aside. It is now more difficult to find gems discovered abroad.

But what about some highly decorated players who took the plunge and simply weren’t given the chance to adapt? If the team is looking to bring in veterans to replace those it lost, it might be worth taking a look at a few European stars on short, team-friendly deals during this transition period.

Vasilije Micic could be the big combo guard the Spurs need

Last season, the coaching staff tried to play bigger ball handlers at point guard, with Jeremy Sochan and then Malaki Branham as point guards. Over the past few years, they have used Josh Richardson and Josh Primo as their primary ball handlers off the bench. Tre Jones ended up as the starter because the others struggled, but the idea of a big playmaker clearly appeals to Gregg Popovich.

Enter Vasilije Micic. The 6’5, 30-year-old point guard joined the Thunder last season after being crowned Euroleague MVP, but failed to crack the rotation for a contender. He came off the bench for 30 games and struggled to score and be efficient, which wasn’t very surprising for his adaptation period. Then he was traded to the Hornets and his numbers improved in a bigger role, with his assist percentage notably increasing sharply. Micic, who hasn’t found his outside offense in the NBA, also worked with the Hornets’ shooting doctor despite shooting over 37 percent from outside during his career, showing that he is humble and willing to continue learning. An ego-less veteran trying to live his NBA dream could bring a different perspective to a young locker room and Micic has the skills to help on offense.

The issues with Micic come on the defensive end, where he can struggle to stay in front of faster players. The Spurs have good defenders at the point of attack who could use some help creating Jeremy Sochan and Blake Wesley, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to hide Micic on spot-up shooters while he shares point guard duties game.

Micic has one more guaranteed year in his contract worth nearly $8 million and then a club option, so he’s essentially on an expiring contract. If he succeeds, the Spurs can keep him cheap and if he doesn’t, they can use his contract as salary ballast for a trade or waive him. The Hornets shouldn’t be too attached to him, but may want to wait until after the Olympics to move him to see if he can improve his trade value. Still, the Spurs have plenty of second-rounders to make a deal.

Sasha Vezenkov could give the floor to Victor Wembanyama

Spacing and outside shooting have been a serious problem for the Spurs in recent years. Too many of their players can’t shoot or aren’t consistent enough to punish defenses that overhelp or pack the paint. Last season, San Antonio ranked 11th in most three-pointers made per game, but ranked 28th in three-point shooting percentage, showing that opponents were okay with allowing them to pull the trigger from the outside because they knew they wouldn’t make them pay.

The team as a whole will need to do better in this area for the offense to click, but Sasha Vezenkov could help the Spurs a lot in terms of spacing. The 2022 Euroleague MVP joined the Kings last season, but couldn’t establish himself and ended up playing just 12 minutes per game and appearing in 42 games, partly due to injuries. In this small role, the 6’8 forward still managed to launch 120 threes and connect on 45, to finish the year shooting 37.5 percent from outside. The only two players with a better shooting percentage on last season’s Spurs roster were Doug McDermott and Cedi Osman, the guys Vezenkov would replace. Vezenkov, who shot 40 percent during his career in Europe, is a bulky shooter who can shoot in spot situations or on the move, coming off screens or after handoffs, so defenses must respect him.

As with Micic, defense is a problem. Vezenkov is a good defensive rebounder but could be targeted in the pick-and-roll, especially if the Spurs continue to change these plays. Having Wembanyama on the backline should help alleviate his individual issues and his experience should allow him to play well enough at team level to avoid being a liability.

Vezenkov, like Micic, has an additional guaranteed year on his contract and a team option for the following year. The Kings have an expensive team and are reportedly close to parting ways with him, as he is not happy in Sacramento and he is not a priority for the team. If Spurs don’t think Sandro Mamukelashvili can fill the striker role, Vezenkov could be a good cheap option.

Micic and Vezenkov are too old and flawed to be part of the Spurs’ core, but they could potentially help in the short term as other veterans have done. Their first year in the league was disappointing, but their environment and the adaptation period associated with changing leagues can at least partly be blamed for their struggles. Both veterans now have an NBA season under their belt, so they should be better next year, especially if they play for Gregg Popovich, who has experience playing international players.

The two former Euroleague MVPs aren’t expected to be major targets or priorities for the Spurs, but they are proven talents who might be undervalued on the market. As low-risk additions, they could be worth it if the front office wants experience and upside without having to make long-term commitments.