Getty LA Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic celebrates after scoring against the Boston Celtics.
Despite having not played in the NBA since 2017 for the Knicks, former Lakers champion Sasha Vujacic is eyeing an NBA comeback. Vujacic won two titles with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010 before being traded midway through the 2010-11 campaign to the New Jersey Nets.
Since the trade, Vujacic has bounced between the Euro circuit and the NBA. Known as a deep ball specialist during his time in Los Angeles, Vujacic has struggled to find the consistency that once made him such a dangerous weapon. However, coming off his best three-point percentage in over half a decade, Vujacic looks to be making a solid case for at least a shot to try and make a roster.
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Former Lakers Champion Sasha Vujacic Eyeing NBA Comeback
Sasha Vujacic, who played in Italy last season, is working out daily in Los Angeles with an eye towards playing in the NBA next season. “The Machine,” who played for the Knicks in 2017, won two championships with the Lakers and said it would be his dream to play in L.A. again.
Vujacic quietly put together a very solid season for Fiat Torino in the Italian Serie A league, shooting a very respectable 37.8% from behind the arc. Furthermore, Vujacic averaged more points, rebounds, and assists than he had since prior to making his initial jump to the NBA in 2004-2005.
While Vujacic isn’t likely to crack a rotation and see significant minutes, if he shows that his deep ball is actually back and his shooting percentage wasn’t a fluke he should be able to get an honest look from a few teams. At his best, Vujacic shot a blistering 43.7% from deep during the 2007-2008 season and played a crucial role in helping the Lakers reach the NBA Finals.
Unfortunately for all parties, a reunion with the Lakers doesn’t make a whole ton of sense seeing as their guard rotation is filled with players who should see minutes over Vujacic. Adding another wing player instead probably makes a bit more sense given their current roster makeup so don’t expect a reunion with “The Machine” anytime soon.
Lakers Offseason Roster Additions
While Vujacic is looking to make the Lakers’ roster, the purple and gold have already signed nearly a complete roster. After trading away nearly the entire team for Anthony Davis, the Lakers were able to initially add sharpshooter Troy Daniels and the always gritty Jared Dudley to the lineup while waiting on Kawhi Leonard‘s decision.
Following Leonard’s blockbuster decision to head to the Clippers, the Lakers went on a spending spree and brought back Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, JaVale McGee, Alex Caruso, and Rajon Rondo from last year’s squad. In terms of new faces, the Lakers also signed Avery Bradley, DeMarcus Cousins, Quinn Cook.
Despite the massive free agency spending spree, the Lakers actually return a surprising amount of lineup continuity from last season – especially considering that they only had three players actively signed to contracts heading into the free agency period. This should come in extremely helpful as LeBron James-led teams are notoriously slow starters, especially when the group is overwhelmingly new.
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