Serbian point guard Milos Teodosic said in an interview with Mozzartsport, a famous Serbian website, that he’ll go to the NBA for sure but he still does not know when this will happen. Teodosic is one of the best players in Europe and considered the best International player not in the NBA, according to the preseason GM’s survey. Teodosic’s contract with CSKA Moscow will expire at the end of the season and the playmaker will be a free agent this summer:
“I will go to the NBA for sure, but I still don’t know when in which club and on what terms. We’ll see. CSKA Moscow certainly has an advantage in the negotiations of a new contract,” said Teodosic to Mozzartsport. “Offers from Grizzlies, Jazz, Spurs or Rockets? I did not get any offers from them. I don’t know who said that.”
Last season was incredible for Teodosic; he won his first Euroleague title with CSKA and last summer he won the Silver medal with the Serbian national team at the Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro. He’ll be 30 in a couple of months, and this looks like the perfect moment for him to make the jump in the league. A couple of weeks ago, a rumor came up in Serbia about Teodosic already agreeing to terms with the Utah Jazz but nothing has been confirmed so far, a source told Def Pen Hoops.
But it is important to remember that there is a strong connection between Milos Teodosic and the Utah Jazz. Quin Snyder, current head coach of the Jazz, had worked as an assistant coach for CSKA Moscow back in 2012-13 season when Ettore Messina, current Spurs associate head coach, was the head coach. During that season, Snyder developed a good relationship with Teodosic and the same player admitted that in an interview with Vice Serbia last summer.
“In which NBA team I would love to play?” said Teodisic in that interview with VICE Serbia. “The San Antonio Spurs, since it is a team that has developed a style close to the so-called ‘European’ basketball. The plays have a lot of extra passes etc. Also the Utah Jazz. Their coach Quin Snyder is a former assistant to Ettore Messina (in 2012/2013 CSKA Moscow) and someone with a phenomenal attitude. He is a great man, one of the most promising coaches in the USA right now. And he really knows me well. So I think I’d be an excellent fit there”.
So the NBA ties are there for the Euroleague star. But Milos Teodisic is not coming to NBA to sit on the bench, that’s one thing he made clear during the interview with Mozzartsport:
“I like to play, and I don’t like to sit on the bench, and I would not agree on any contract if I have to sit on the bench. This is my condition for going to the NBA.”
CSKA Moscow will undoubtedly make a big offer to keep Teodosic in Europe. But the Utah Jazz and Brooklyn Nets are two teams that have already expressed some level of interest in the player, a source told Def Pen Hoops. Of course, it’s still too early to make any prediction about Teodosic’s future. This upcoming summer, a lot of teams could use a point guard with incredible passing vision and great International experience like Milos.
The 76ers have already made a similar move last summer, bringing Spanish point guard Sergio Rodriguez back to the NBA, and may try again with Teodosic. Bryan Colangelo has always been a fan of International players. The Knicks have a hole in that position, and it doesn’t look like they’re going to re-sign Derrick Rose.
Another team that will take a look at Milos Teodosic is the Sacramento Kings, a source told Def Pen Hoops. Serbian GM Vlade Divac knows the qualities of Teodosic very well and will also try to bring over another Serbian talent like Bogdan Bogdanovic, currently with Fenerbahce and originally drafted by the Phoenix Suns. Both Darren Collison and Ty Lawson will be unrestricted free agents this summer, and neither of them looks like long term solutions for Sacramento.
