Former Gonzaga star Filip Petrusev signs with Olympiacos in Greece
Filip Petrusev is on the move again, as the former Gonzaga men's basketball standout signed a deal with Greek basketball club Olympiacos of the EuroLeague.
After being waived by the Sacramento Kings last week, the Serbian signed a three-year deal to return to Europe once he cleared NBA waivers. The contract includes a release clause after the 2024-25 season as well as NBA outs should he receive an offer from a team stateside.
Petrusev, 23, was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the LA Clippers as part of the James Harden trade. The Clippers then traded Petrusev to the Kings. The 6-foot-11 center appeared in two games with Sacramento. In the offseason, the 76ers signed Petrusev to a non-guaranteed deal two years after the organization selected him in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft.
Prior to his NBA stint, Petrusev played for clubs in Turkey and Serbia over the course of three seasons. With 23.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, he was named the ABA MVP as a 21-year-old with KK Mega Basket (Serbia). His two seasons against EuroLeague competition weren't up to that standard, though, as he averaged 5.2 points in a reduced role with Anadolu Efes (Turkey) after his MVP season and 10.7 points with Crvena zvezda (Serbia).
Petrusev's last international experience came last summer at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, as he represented his home Serbia. In six appearances, he averaged 8.2 points and 3.5 rebounds to help the Serbs finish second in the tournament and qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.
Filip Petrusev played for Gonzaga from 2017 to 2020.
Phoot by James Snook, USA TODAY Sports
