5. Friday, March 15 vs. Sacramento Kings — Nemanja, we hardly knew ye
On July 5 the 76ers seemed to score a quality replacement for Ersan Ilaysova when it was reported that free agent Nemanja Bjelica, formerly of the Minnesota Timberwolves, had agreed to sign with the 76ers on a one-year contract for the mid-level exception (about $4.4 million).
Bjelica is a 6-foot-10 power forward known for having a nice shooting touch from outside, shooting 41 percent from the 3-point line the previous season. It seemed like a nice pickup for interim GM Brett Brown, a good player at a reasonable price.
As he thought about it, Bjelica thought his salary might be just a tad too reasonable. He had hoped for a multi-year contract at a higher salary but, in the tight non-superstar free agent market of the summer, the Sixers were his best offer.
He was supposed to come in from his native Serbia for a physical to officially seal the deal, but visa complications delayed it — permanently as it turned out.
On July 17, Bjelica informed the Sixers he would not be coming over, instead choosing to stay in Europe for his family’s sake.
Just four days later, Bjelica decided it would be best for his family to sign a three-year, $20.5 million dollar contract with the Sacramento Kings. When Kings GM Vlade Divac, a fellow Serbian, heard of Bjelica backing out of his deal with the Sixers, he called him and talked him into coming to the Kings with a very enticing offer for a player who averaged 6.8 points a game last year.
Note that Divac could have offered Bjelica the same amount when Bjelica was a free agent, a whole 21 days earlier. It was only after he spurned the Sixers that he suddenly became interested in him. It also should be noted that California is not closer to Serbia than Philadelphia, so going home will be a much longer flight.
The Kings only appearance at the Center will be March 15. Will fans still remember how Bjelica changed his mind and decided he did not want to be a Sixer? The answer is most likely:
Boooo!!