Philadelphia 76ers Draft Pick Relocates After Busy Last Season

Former Philadelphia 76ers center Filip Petrusev finds a temporary new team.

Oct 16, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) dunks the ball during the first quarter in front of Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) and forward Filip Petrusev (33) at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The 2023-2024 NBA season presented a great opportunity for now-former Philadelphia 76ers center Filip Petrusev. As Petrusev returned to the U.S. after starting his pro career as a Euro stash, he hoped to battle for a role on Nick Nurse’s roster.

Petrusev saw the court for his first NBA game on October 29, 2023. It ended up being his first and last outing with the 76ers.

A couple of nights later, the Sixers dealt Petrusev away to the Los Angeles Clippers. He went to LA alongside James Harden and PJ Tucker. Harden and Tucker stuck with the Clippers for the rest of the 2023-2024 NBA season. Petrusev was flipped to the Sacramento Kings.

Once again, Pertrusev struggled to carve out a role on the Kings. After two appearances, Petrusev was waived by Sacramento. He welcomed the move to be cut loose, as the Greek club Olympiacos offered the center a three-year deal.

In 22 games, Petrusev averaged 16 minutes on the court in Greece. He produced eight points per game, along with three rebounds. While Petrusev remains under contract with the Greek club, the young center has been loaned out to play for another team for the time being.

Petrusev is no stranger to his temporary team. Crvena Zvezda in Serbia is the team Petrusev played for before making his way into to the NBA. He spent 34 games on the court for the Serbian team, producing 11 points and five rebounds per game. The stretch was Petrusev’s best of his pro career.

He’ll get an opportunity to play for them once again, while reportedly extending his contract with Olympiacos, according to Eurohoops.net.

Petrusev’s NBA hopes might not be gone for good, but for the time being, he’ll continue developing overseas. The 24-year-old’s journey started in the NCAA at Gonzaga. After two seasons, he entered the 2021 NBA Draft, getting called on by Philly with the 50th overall pick.

The Sixers didn’t see a need for Petrusev long-term. While they went without selecting a center prospect in the draft since taking Petrusev and Charles Bassey in 2021, the Sixers took on Adem Bona in the second round in 2024. They hope the former UCLA standout sticks after a strong Summer League showing.