Washington Wizards: Tristan Vukcevic already has superstar fans
By Cem Yolbulan
The Washington Wizards’ second-round selection Tristan Vukvevic’s near future in the NBA may be uncertain but the Serbian big man has a lot of support from basketball royalty. In a fascinating article for NBC Sports Washington, Chase Hughes caught up with Vukcevic to discuss his basketball journey.
The 42nd-overall pick of the draft, the Serbian native spent last season with Partizan Belgrade after spending a few years with the Spanish giants Real Madrid. He has repeatedly expressed interest in playing for the Washington Wizards immediately, but his situation remains unclear.
The Wizards currently have 16 guaranteed contracts, as well as 2 two-way contracts. They are allowed to add one more two-way contract but have to reduce their roster to 15 guaranteed contracts before the start of the season. Due to this roster crunch, Washington hasn’t decided on Vukcevic so far. If they were to bring him over for the 2023-24 season, they would have to trade and/or waive two guaranteed deals.
One option could be to sign him to a two-way contract like many second-round picks. However, whether Vukcevic would prefer that over potentially playing for a Euroleague team is unclear.
There is a significant chance that he will be stashed in Europe for one year before coming to the NBA, just like his countryman Nikola Jokic did after being drafted in 2014.
Regardless of where Vukcevic ends up playing next season, he will have plenty of support from basketball stars. In the article, Hughes underlines the relationship Vukcevic has with All-Star brothers Pau and Marc Gasol from Spain. Vukcevic recalls the phone call he received from a former NBA champion and Defensive Player of the Year, Marc:
"“He just called me, he said he loves my game and wanted to give me advice, he just told me the differences in the NBA and how life is in the NBA, like how to get adjusted. Whenever I’m wondering or have any specific questions, to feel free to always call him. I feel grateful for that. He’s a legend.”"
Marc Gasol is the perfect example to follow for Tristan Vukcevic. Despite not having elite physical or athletic tools, Gasol was able to turn himself into a defensive mastermind thanks to his positional awareness. Having him one phone call away as a mentor could do wonders for Vukcevic.
Because Tristan’s father Dusan was a professional basketball player, Vukcevics are a well-connected basketball family. Through these connections, Tristan was able to receive mentorship from fellow Serbian Peja Stojakovic. An NBA champion and three-time All-Star, Stojakovic was one of the league’s premier sharpshooters of his generation. For a player like Vukcevic who needs to be a great three-point shooter to fully actualize his offensive potential, Stojakovic’s mentorship is godsent.
Having the support of the Wizards organization and these NBA stars, it’s now all up to Tristan Vukcevic to carve a path for himself in the league. He has access to some brilliant basketball minds to learn from.
Whether it starts in the 2023-24 season or after, Vukcevic’s NBA journey is off to a good start. Let’s hope it’s a beneficial relationship between the Washington Wizards and Vukcevic for a long time.
