Sources: Greek League MVP Sasha Vezenkov staying with Olympiacos; Kings sign two forwards
The Kings signed two players Friday as they fill out their roster for the 2022-23 season, but Greek League MVP Sasha Vezenkov wasn’t one of them.
League sources told The Sacramento Bee the Kings have signed KZ Okpala and former UC Davis standout Chima Moneke. Vezenkov will remain overseas for now, but the Kings could revisit the possibility of bringing him to Sacramento in the future, sources said.
The Kings acquired the rights to Vezenkov when they traded the No. 49 pick in June’s NBA draft to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward earned All-EuroLeague and MVP honors after leading Olympiacos to the Greek League championship.
The Kings invited Vezenkov to Las Vegas to meet with team officials during the NBA Summer League, but Vezenkov canceled the trip, saying he would remain in Europe while awaiting an offer from Sacramento. Money and uncertainty over Vezenkov’s role in the rotation could have been issues as the two sides reached an apparent stalemate.
The Kings took steps to improve their wing depth with the signings of Okpala and Moneke. Both players are familiar with Kings coach Mike Brown, assistant coaches Jordi Fernandez and Luke Loucks, and new teammate Chimezie Metu from their time together with the Nigerian national team.
Okpala, 23, is a 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward who came out of Stanford as the 32nd overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft. He spent his first three seasons with the Miami Heat, where he averaged 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per game last season while shooting 43.5% from the field and 34.6% from 3-point range.
Moneke, 26, is a 6-6, 223-pound forward who earned All-Big West Conference honorable mention in 2017-18. He went undrafted out of UC Davis in 2018 after averaging 18.3 points and 9.6 rebounds while shooting 51.3% from the field and 37.5% from 3-point range. He has played professionally in France and Spain.
Teams can carry as many as 20 players during the summer, including two two-way players. The Kings currently have 15 players under contract.
This story was originally published July 15, 2022 at 5:52 PM.
