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A preview shows (from left) Marial Shayok, No. 11 of South Sudan, Nikola Jokic, No. 15 of Serbia, Wenyen Gabriel, No. 09 of South Sudan, Vasilije Micic, No. 22 of Serbia and Nuni Omot, No. 05 of South Sudan, attempting a rebound.
After adding former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook via the buyback market, the Denver Nuggets have their eyes set on the former Euroleague MVP Vasilije Micić on the trade market.
Marc Stein, an NBA insider at Substack, mentioned Micić as a trade target for the Nuggets.
“With a salary of $7.7 million this season and an $8.1 million team option in 2025-26, Vasilije Micić continues to be mentioned as a potential trade target for Denver given Micic’s close relationship with the Nuggets star. Nikola Jokić” Stein wrote on August 18.
Stein noted, however, that a potential trade for Micić would make them a second-tier team, limiting their flexibility in roster construction going forward.
“Keep in mind, though, that Denver is only about $5 million away from the second leg of the luxury tax and thus couldn’t absorb Micić’s contract without dreaded second-leg complications. The Hornets could also opt to keep Micić to play behind the former All-Star LaMelo Ball“, Stein added.
Micić, 30, averaged 10.8 points and 6.2 assists in 30 games (21 starts) for the Hornets after arriving at the trade deadline from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Micić averaged 13.3 points at 46.5% shooting and 4.5 assists alongside Jokic as the Serbs settled for the bronze medal after squandering a 17-point lead against Team USA in the semi-finals.
Nuggets’ interest in Vasilije Micić dates back to 2022
Micić has been on the Nuggets’ radar since 2022, when news broke that he was finally joining the NBA. Jokic, his teammate on the Serbian national team, is his strongest supporter, according to Yahoo Sports NBA insider Jake Fischer, who was always reporting for Bleacher Report at that time.
“Serbian point guard Vasilije Micic remains a hot name on the trade market. OKC holds his draft rights, and Nikola Jokic has been touted as a factor in Denver’s interest in securing the EuroLeague MVP,” Fischer wrote in June 2022.
In 2024, the Nuggets remain interested in acquiring Micić, according to Fischer.
“The Nuggets are also considering trading backup Zeke Nnaji, sources said. Denver had given the 23-year-old Arizona native the opportunity to stake a claim to a backup role behind Nikola Jokić, but traded up in Wednesday’s NBA draft to select a predictable replacement in Dayton center DaRon Holmes II. Nnaji’s $8 million salary could be an exit package, for example, to bring back Serbian point guard Vasilije Micić from Charlotte, who has been a target for Denver,” Fischer wrote on June 30.
Nikola Jokic pushed for Russell Westbrook addition
Westbrook, 35, has been the Nuggets’ target with three MVP titles Nikola Jokic They are being heard behind the scenes, according to Harrison Wind of DNVR.
“I’m told Nikola Jokic wants to play with Westbrook in Denver. He wants to play with him. This isn’t the first time he’s wanted to play with him,” Wind said on the “Wind Chimes” podcast earlier this month.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Joey Linn, Jokic wasn’t the only Nuggets veteran who wanted Westbrook on the team.
Can Jokic exert his influence on the Nuggets management to reunite him with Micić?
However, a back line of Westbrook and Micić off the bench theoretically poses a spacing problem because both guards are not good 3-point shooters.
Westbrook just shot 27.3% from 3-point range last season while Micić is slightly better at 27.9%.
Alder Almo is a basketball journalist who covers the NBA for Heavy.com. He has over 15 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is originally from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. Learn more about Alder Almo
