The annual NBA GM survey went live this week. And for the second year in a row, Aleksandar “Sasha” Vezenkov was voted the best basketball player outside the league.
This year, he ran away with the honor, garnering 44 percent of the vote, while Isaac Bonga and Cedi Osman tied for second at 10 percent each.
And any time an international player captures the attention of the league’s executives to this degree, it’s natural to wonder if he can make it in the NBA.
For some EuroLeague standouts (like Vasilije Micić or Miloš Teodosić), the transition proved overwhelmingly difficult. But others (like Luka Dončić) have proven it’s not impossible.
It may be tempting to drop Vezenkov on the less flattering side of that ledger, since he already has one relatively underwhelming NBA campaign under his belt, but he’s only 30 years old. There’s still a chance he could help an NBA team before his playing days are over.
In that lone campaign with the Sacramento Kings, back in 2023-24, Vezenkov appeared in just 42 games, averaged 12.2 minutes and 5.4 points and shot 37.5 percent from deep.
Injuries and lack of a consistent role were part of the motivation to give up millions in guaranteed money and return to Europe.
“Overall, it was… a weird season,” Vezenkov told reporters after the campaign ended. “Ups and downs, new game, new life, a couple of injuries. I tried to adjust as fast as possible… Unfortunately, those two injuries, I think they held me back, but the whole situation was a little bit difficult and different.”
Struggles to stay in front of opponents on defense and lack of ancillary contributions (he averaged just 1.8 assists per 100 possessions in Sacramento) were part of the problem, too. But ultimately, the decision to leave just one year into a three-year contract was Vezenkov’s. After a trade to the Toronto Raptors, he negotiated a buyout and headed to Greece.
Back in a situation that’s more familiar to him, Vezenkov may have had his best season yet in 2024-25.
In 52 Olympiacos games in the Greek Basketball League and the EuroLeague, Vezenkov averaged 19.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.6 threes in 28.1 minutes, while shooting 38.2 percent from deep.
And while those numbers and his size (6’9″) suggest “stretch big,” Vezenkov has proven this season that his game, particularly his scoring repertoire, is a lot more than that.
In January, he set the Olympiacos single-game record with 45 points against Bayern Munich. He was 8-of-10 from deep and an absurd 10-of-10 inside the three-point line. His twos weren’t a bunch of wide-open layups. And several of the threes were contested.
A performance like that and season-long numbers like the ones Vezenkov put up in 2024-25 aren’t guaranteed to translate to the NBA, but they’re a good sign he can be a contributor there.
In 2023-24, Vezenkov found himself with one of the league’s least stable franchises. And that season, the Kings had most of their frontcourt minutes committed to veterans Domantas Sabonis and Harrison Barnes and to the development of then-23-year-old Keegan Murray.
On a team with a more specifically defined role, Vezenkov’s shooting (at the very least) could have an impact. Over the course of his non-NBA career, he’s hit 39.3 percent of his threes and 83.0 percent of his free throws. And he has the frame, high release point and quick release necessary to survive in the league.
As one former GM told Bleacher Report, Vezenkov “Could absolutely find a home on a good team.”
Of course, Vezenkov’s five-year contract, which he signed just over a year ago, and his less-than-ideal experience in Sacramento, could complicate that possibility. A buyout from Olympiacos would be costly. And Vezenkov would likely need some kind of assurance of a better defined role from an NBA team.
But at this point in his career, he’s earned that (assuming he wants another shot at the league).
Vezenkov was the EuroLeague MVP in 2023 (the award Luka won in 2018), the EuroLeague Playoffs MVP in 2025 and a three-time All-EuroLeague First Teamer. He has three Greek League championships (including in 2025) and four Greek League MVPs (including, again, in 2025).
When he was with the Kings, noted sharpshooter Kevin Huerter said: “He comes in and he doesn’t miss. A lot of us have some work to do to catch up.”
Before his buyout from the Raptors, Masai Ujiri called him a “phenomenal player.”
Vezenkov is one of the most decorated basketball players in the world, with a seemingly effortless offensive game that should translate to real NBA impact.
The league’s GMs see it. One day, NBA fans may see it too.
