Vasilije Micic came close to make the jump to the NBA this offseason with several teams including the Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks showing interest in acquirinh his rights from the OKC Thunder.
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, per NBA executives as reported by Sean Deveney of Heavy.
Micic wanted a salary around $6-7 million per year a starting spot (or, at least, starter-type minutes), and a role with a contending team. According to a report from Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Bulls, Nuggets and Bucks were among the teams who had an interest in Micic.
However, the Bulls were more eager to fill in the point guard rotation, especially with Lonzo Ball’s health being a question mark. Per Deveney, the Serbia NT point guard could begin the season as a starter in Chicago.
The Bulls eventually went with a cheaper option than Micic signing veteran point guard Goran Dragic on a $2.9 million salary for a season. If they signed Micic at the mid-level exception price ($6.5M), the Bulls would have been way over the tax line.
The Serbian guard remained with EuroLeague back-to-back champions Anadolu Efes, and he will try to add to his resume more title and individual accolades next season. The Turkish club will once again being considered as a favorite to win the title again.
