After the success of Team Serbia at the Paris Olympics, many were speculating about some of the Serbian players uniting in Denver and teaming up with Nikola Jokic in the NBA. Several players showed out in the tournament, putting them on the NBA radar.
Other players such as Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nikola Jovic, and Vasilije Micic have already appeared in the NBA and made an imprint. None of those three players - or any other Serbians are stars in the league besides Jokic, but they’ve each had some degree of success and it sounds like the Serbian basketball pipeline is wide open.
One of the players hwo showed a great rapport with the Joker and seemed to be a natural fit on the Nuggets was Micic. The 30 year old point guard has only been in the NBA for one season, but showed some ability to shoot and run an offense.
Micic was dealt in the middle of hte season from the Thunder to the Hornets and there was some logic that his stay in Charlotte might be a short one. The Hornets are at the beginning of a rebuild and carrying a veteran role player like Micic doesn’t make a ton of sense on the surface.
Vasilije Micic announces he is officially staying with the Hornets
The trade possibilities were pretty clear and there was some hope that the Serbian would be shipped to Denver to unite with his countryman, Jokic. But at a recent press conference in Serbia for a mural unveiling, Micic announced that there was some interest, but he’ll officially be staying in Charlotte.
This should squash any speculation that he’ll be dealt to the Nuggets or leave the NBA and continue his career in Europe. Obviously, things can change quickly in the NBA and despite his interest in staying with the Hornets, a trade could pop up at any time.
But at least for the time being, it doesn’t seem like anything is imminent. The Nuggets’ roster appears to set as they are on the verge of entering training camp and starting preseason. Things will evolve and remain static once the season starts.
A trade could go down at any moment and it’ll always be fun to dream about some of Jokic’s Serbian teammates and friends joining him in Denver. But for now, it seems like more of a pipedream or something that could happen down the road than anything pressing. Dare to dream.