It’s been an eventful month for Filip Petrusev, both on the basketball court and with several uniform changes.
The former Gonzaga forward is returning with reports that he will be cut by the Sacramento Kings and is expected to sign up for EuroLeague powerhouse Olympiacos in Piraeus, Greece.
Petrusev signed a contract in July with the Philadelphia 76ers, who settled on the 6-foot-11 Serbian with the 50th pick in the 2021 draft. He played for two years before joining the 76ers.
Petrusev made his NBA debut with Philadelphia in a 3-minute span against Portland on October 29. Two days later, Petrusev was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers along with James Harden in a seven-player industry that included draft picks. Within 24 hours, Petrusev was flown to Sacramento, temporarily joining former Gonzaga star Domantas Sabonis.
Petrusev made two appearances for the Kings, scoring his first three NBA goals in six-plus minutes on Monday against New Orleans. He also played one game with the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s G League affiliate.
The 23-year-old Petrusev’s next stop will be Olympiacos, according to Eurohoops. net. Prior to joining the NBA with the 76ers, Petrusev played 56 EuroLeague games with Crvena Zvezda, founded in his hometown of Belgrade, and Anadolu Efes in Istanbul, Turkey.
The Kings will pay Petrusev about $560,000.
Petrusev averaged 17. 5 points and 7. 9 rebounds as a sophomore and earned West Coast Conference Player of the Year honors. He chose to leave Gonzaga to begin his professional career at Mega Soccerbet in Serbia.
Former Zags star Nigel Williams-Goss is in the season of his time at Olympiacos. He averages 10. 7 assists and 2. 5 assists in EuroLeague competitions. Former Zag Kyle Wiltjer played for Olympiacos in 2017-18.
Los Angeles Lakers former Gonzaga star Rui Hachimura will be out for at least a week after undergoing surgery Friday to repair a broken nose.
Hachimura did not accompany the Lakers on their four-game road trip, which began Saturday against Cleveland. He was injured in the first quarter of Wednesday’s loss to Dallas.
The 6-foot-8 forward had already missed 4 games with a concussion.
Hachimura, who signed a three-year, $51 million contract in July, was a key player in the Lakers’ run to the Western Conference Finals. He is averaging 11. 8 points and 3. 8 rebounds in 23. 3 minutes this season.