In a somewhat surprising turn of events, the Charlotte Hornets unloaded their top trade candidate, Mark Williams, to a Western Conference team without the deal getting rescinded. In return, they received the 29th pick of the draft, which they used on Liam McNeeley, a 2029 first-round selection, and a returning Vasilije Micic. Because the Phoenix Suns had to exercise the former Charlotte Hornets point guard's team option for the 2025-26 campaign worth $8.1 million, an argument can be made that he is one of the biggest winners of the first night of the draft.
Coming into the offseason, there appeared to be no chance of the Suns activating Micic's team option. After all, he barely played there after the trade deadline deal that saw Phoenix dump Jusuf Nurkic's salary to the Hornets. He appeared in just five games, averaging 4.2 minutes per contest, in a Suns uniform.
With the Wednesday trade, the Serbian veteran has a guaranteed contract for next season. Interestingly, he will earn more than Kon Knueppel for one campaign, as the NBA rookie scale dictates that the incoming No. 4 pick can only secure as much as $7.6 million in his first year in the league.
Vasilije Micic may not play another game in the NBA again
Given how his Hornets tenure went down, though, it's unlikely that Micic will report to the team in training camp. He was unable to meet expectations in Charlotte last season, getting outplayed by a rookie at times and becoming one of the worst rotation players around the association.
It has been quite a fall from grace for the former EuroLeague MVP. From being labeled one of the best hoopsters outside the NBA several years ago, he has turned into some sort of a punching bag, more so after Phoenix used him as a salary filler for the Williams deal and made him come back to a squad where he couldn't establish a niche.
Interestingly, there were rumors that Vasa was on his way this summer to the EuroLeague, where he had previously bagged two championships. Maybe that's still what would happen, as he could negotiate a buyout or release from the Hornets. It's unclear what the terms would be in that scenario, but Micic is likely going to take home millions of dollars despite the possibility of parting ways with the Hornets.
There is no doubt about the Serbian star's talent. He has proven that not only in the EuroLeague but also in the international arena. Unfortunately, his skills and acumen have not translated well into the NBA. At 31 years old, he probably thinks he doesn't have time anymore to prove that he can be at least an effective role player on U.S. soil.
Besides, the Hornets look like they will be adding four rookies to the mix, as they still have a pair of early second-round picks after taking Knueppel and McNeeley in the first round. So, there's not much opportunity for Micic to prove his mettle again in Charlotte or in the NBA, for that matter.