Sacramento Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov recently returned after missing more than two weeks with a right ankle sprain, but now he is facing another extended absence after reinjuring the same ankle. A league source told The Sacramento Bee Vezenkov sprained the ankle again during Saturday’s practice in Oklahoma City as the Kings prepared for their Super Bowl Sunday showdown with the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center. The team was still gathering information and there was no specific timeline for Vezenkov’s return, but he was expected to miss “at least a few weeks.” Vezenkov missed seven games after spraining the ankle in a Jan. 22 win over the Atlanta Hawks. He returned to score three points in six minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons. He had six points in 16 minutes in Friday’s win over the Denver Nuggets. Vezenkov told The Bee before Friday’s game his ankle was feeling better but still not 100%. In a previous interview prior to his return, Vezenkov said the injury turned out to be “a little more tricky than I thought.” “We’re doing everything possible for my ankle,” Vezenkov said. “I was thinking it would be something minor, but unfortunately it was a little bit longer than I expected, so I’m just focusing on my work.” Vezenkov, 28, signed a three-year, $20 million contract with the Kings in July following a yearlong courtship. Vezenkov was named the 2023 EuroLeague MVP after averaging 17.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists to lead Olympiacos to the Greek League title.
ezenkov is averaging 5.6 points and 2.5 rebounds in 12.6 minutes per game in his first NBA season. He is shooting 44.8% from the field and 38% from 3-point range. Vezenkov has been in and out of coach Mike Brown’s rotation in Sacramento, but he has made a significant impact in a number of games. He matched his season high with 14 points in a Jan. 16 loss to the Phoenix Suns. He also had 14 points with three rebounds, three steals and two assists in a Dec. 8 victory over the Suns.
