Former 76ers Draft Pick Set to Leave Sacramento Kings After Trade

After joining the Sixers for the 2023-2024 NBA season, Filip Petrusev's journey will lead him beyond the NBA once again.
Former 76ers Draft Pick Set to Leave Sacramento Kings After Trade
Former 76ers Draft Pick Set to Leave Sacramento Kings After Trade /

Filip Petrusev’s stint in the NBA will conclude much earlier than expected. The former Philadelphia 76ers second-round pick is set to sign a contract overseas, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

This season, Petrusev joined the Sixers after spending the previous two seasons as a Euro stash. The Serbian center initially joined the Sixers’ organization in 2021, becoming the team’s 50th overall pick out of Gonzaga.

Although Petrusev wanted to land in the NBA right away, the Sixers felt it would be best if he spent some time gaining more experience in other leagues. Following stints in Turkey and Serbia, Petrusev came to the States to finally join the Sixers for the 2023-2024 NBA season.

The young center was available throughout the preseason for the Sixers and made the opening night roster. However, following the Sixers’ third game, Petrusev was involved in the blockbuster deal, which moved James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Serbian center was tossed into the deal with Harden and PJ Tucker. While those two players stayed on board in LA, Petrusev was quickly re-routed to the Sacramento Kings. The former Sixers’ draft pick hoped to quickly carve out a role for himself in Sacramento, but it appears that won’t be the case. As a result, they’ll go their separate ways.

Upon his arrival with the Kings, Petrusev was assigned to their G League affiliate in Stockton. He appeared in one game, spending nine minutes on the court. With the Kings, Petrusev made two regular-season appearances. He averaged three minutes on the court across those two matchups, totaling just three points.

It’s unclear where Petrusev is headed next, but it could take some time before he makes his way back to the NBA if playing in the U.S. is still in the cards later on down the line. 


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA