According to Arizona Sports 98.7’s John Gambadoro, the Sacramento Kings are interested in Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic.
The free-agent-to-be center finished off a four-year $53 million this season by posting career highs in both scoring (20.8 ppg) and rebounding (12.0 rpg), and made his first All-Star game. He also was an efficient 51.8% from the floor, including 36.4% from three point land. Vucevic’s stellar play helped to end a six-year playoff absence, even though they were defeated 4-1 by the eventual Eastern Conference champs, Toronto Raptors in the first round.
Just because the Kings, and undoubtedly many other ballclubs, are interested signing Vucevic this offseason, does not mean the Magic are just going to sit idly by and let their best player walk. Last month, Orlando President of Basketball Operations Jeff Whitman via the Orlando Sentinel’s Roy Parry that resigning Vucevic was a priority.
Vucevic has not ruled out returning to the Magic saying this about it:
Obviously I’ve had a great seven years here, but at the same time, we’ll see what happens. It’s a mutual decision, and it’s not just me. They have to decide what they want to do. Based on that, we’ll go from there.
Adding Vucevic to the Kings to go along with crop of young talent like De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley III could be enough to push them into the playoffs, even in the tough Western Conference.
