PHILADELPHIA _ Remember Vasilije Micic?
He's the Serbian point guard who the 76ers selected with the 52nd-overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He has remained overseas to play professionally in Europe for the past six seasons.
But it appears the 26-year-old may be ready to play in the NBA, not just hold a roster spot. Micic thinks he's capable of being a key rotation player.
"This is my style of play," he told 15min.lt this week. "I could play fewer minutes, play a smaller role. But I think during my career in Europe, I have already gained the status of a player that shows I could play a role that is longer than 20 minutes, which is what might be waiting for me in the NBA."
At 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, Micic's contract with Turkish club Anadolu Efes is through the 2020-21 season. He has an expensive opt-out clause that could enable him to play in the NBA, where the Sixers own his rights.
"Anadolu Efes or the NBA _ it's the only scenarios I have for the next season," Micic said.
He had a breakout season in 2018-19, averaging 12.4 points, 5.5 assists and 2.4 rebounds to lead Efes to its first EuroLeague championship game. This season, Micic averaged 14.5 points, 5.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds against EuroLeague foes before the coronavirus crisis shut down the season.
"This season I feel I climbed one or two steps higher because the season has been even more successful for me," he said.
Micic gained confidence after being a key reason for this season's Efes squad being better than last season's team.
"From that viewpoint, maybe it looks like I'm even closer to the NBA now," he said. "But I don't want to just play in the NBA. If the situation goes wrong, I don't want to be proud of just being there.
"I want to be part of an NBA team, to get to play. Playing in the NBA alone won't make me happy if I can't be significant there."
