The Kings are acquiring 23-year-old center Filip Petrusev from the Los Angeles Clippers, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Petrusev was traded by the Philadelphia 76ers to the Clippers on Monday as part of the James Harden deal, and now heads to Sacramento, along with our old friend cash considerations.
The Clippers are trading center Filip Petrusev and cash to the Kings, sources tell ESPN. Petrusev arrived from Philadelphia in the James Harden deal and Kings will get a chance to evaluate the 23-year-old and see if he has a future there.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 1, 2023
Petrusev, a 6’11 big man born in Belgrade, Serbia, was originally drafted by Philadelphia with the 50th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. From 2018-2020, he played two seasons of NCAA ball with Gonzaga, and averaged 17.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs in his sophomore season. He then signed with Mega Basket of the Adratic League for the 2020-21 season, and won league MVP while averaging 23.6 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 57.9% from the field and 42% from three. After getting drafted by Philadelphia in the 2021 draft, he played with the 76ers Summer League squads for each of the next three summer sessions, but did not sign a regular season contract with the 76ers until this year. He has spent the past two years in with top-flight EuroLeague squads, Anadolu Efes in Turkey, and Crvena zvezda in Serbia. He also played for Serbia in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
A couple notable stat lines from Filip Petrusev with Serbia at the FIBA World Cup
-Vs Dominican Republic:
20 mins, 14 pts, 4 rebs, 2 blks-Vs Lithuanian:
17 mins, 17 pts, 6 rebs, 2 asts-Vs Germany:
20 mins, 10 pts, 4 rebs, 1 blkspic.twitter.com/JpmdgDdhyU— Sean Barnard (@Sean_Barnard1) September 12, 2023
Petrusev signed his first NBA contract this summer, joining the 76ers on a two-year deal. Per Woj, he is set to make $1.1 million this season, but half of that is only guaranteed if he remains on the Kings roster after January 7. His salary for the 2024-25 season is non-guaranteed.
Given the Kings depth at the big positions, it’s unclear if Petrusev will see real minutes for the Kings moving forward. At the very least, it gives Monte McNair and Mike Brown an opportunity to evaluate a young big man who has shown flashes of ability to stretch the floor. But with Trey Lyles, JaVale McGee, Alex Len, and of course fellow-Gonzaga-alumni Domantas Sabonis on the roster, Petrusev’s opportunities may be far and few between.
Mike Schmitz, formerly of DraftExpress and now Assistant GM with the Portland Trail Blazers, had a nice breakdown of Petrusev as a prospect when he was drafted in 2021.
What are the Sixers getting in Filip Petrusev? A highly-productive big who won MVP of the Adriatic League at just 21 years old. Has done a nice job modernizing his game over the years, shooting 45% from 3 last season in Mega. Petrusev has been Serbian National Team mainstay also. pic.twitter.com/fvFiBSmEJG
— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) August 4, 2021
PE-3-Sev from deep!
Those are some nice numbers from the World Cup, and against good teams. If he can shoot threes as he’s shown already, you pretty much have to give him minutes at some point, even alongside Sabonis or McGee.
Seems like he could work in a big lineup as a stretch 4. Pretty much a free evaluation.
Kick the tires and see what he’s got to give. At the very least he’s a partially guaranteed deal that can be cut or used in trade.
I’m guessing the Clips simply paid his partial guarantee amount plus a thank you kicker to the Kings in order to escape the tax hit. That way if the Kings cut him before January it costs them nothing.
The Clippers are trading center Filip Petrusev and cash to the Kings……….OK, I give up. For what?
Yeah, there has to be something there. I’m guessing a heavily protected future 2nd round pick. Something like 2027 2nd protected #55-31
I’m just happy Cash Considerations are coming our way for once.
The draft rights to Alex Oriakhi is still on the books…
That would be my guess as well. Still strange to not indicate.
LAC sorting through all the bad options
either highly protected second round, like LAC only get the pick if it is 55-60 or a trade for a guy the Kings drafted in the past who never signed and will never come to the States- Bojan Bodiroga
Good deal from Monte. Another stretch four can’t hurt.
Nice move, nothing given up and a chance to look at another piece to add to the team’s depth.
so similar to Kessler Edwards deal- player comes in for free audition. Nothing goes out and oh yes! Kings get cash considerations who is 7-8 and plays the Point.
Great, would already love to see less JaVale McGee. Win/win.
I feel like JaVale has been pretty awesome so far. What am I missing?
Glad we didn’t get Harden in this deal. A player from Serbia to replace Metu……we will see.
Could have much more easily kept Queta, in whom Kings invested alot of time and money, and showed real growth year over year.
But they didn’t see him fitting in, apparently. No sense keeping him around if you aren’t going to play him. Just takes a roster spot. Do the guy a solid and get him in a place where he might play.
If he had shown real growth he’d still be on the team. Clearly the front office didn’t think he’d shown much growth.
Productive at the NCAA level for a solid Div I team with a great coach, then 2 more years of production in the EuroLeague, and signed to play as a back up big for the current NBA MVP, whom he has practiced with.
And at a No Risk contract which can end by Jan 7- way before trade deadline.
Very Kessler Edwards acquisition.
A good reminder of just how talented the League is right now.
Sure, why not?
(Chimezie Metu is currently on Phoenix and is 26 yrs old)
*Cash*
Yep that makes sense. I’m guessing the Clippers shipped him for some Cap related reason and gave us some money to take him.
They got the draft rights to LUKA!
Jason Anderson: The Sacramento Kings have finalized a trade to acquire Filip Petrusev and cash considerations from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to Luka Mitrovic.
The crazy thing is that with our GM’s track record with talent that’s flying under the radar, I fully expect this guy to be part of the rotation by the all star break.
Let him play. Especially if he rebounds well.
Badge Legend