Bulgarian Basketball Star Vezenkov Waives $6.6 Million to Leave Toronto Raptors

Bulgaria's Aleksandar (Sasha) Vezenkov has officially been released by the Toronto Raptors. According to NBA reporter Keith Smith, the Bulgarian star "left 6.6 million dollars on the table to make this happen - to be released by the Canadians." Vezenkov can now sign a contract with his former club Olympiakos, but he must wait 48 hours on the "rejection list." This theoretically allows any team to add him to their roster and take over his contract, although the chances are minimal since it is well known he wants to return to Greece.

"Sasha Vezenkov has waived his entire 6.6 million dollars salary in a buyout from the Toronto Raptors, a league source told @spotrac," wrote Keith Smith on his page. CBS also broadcast the news. Eurohoops reported that Olympiakos and Vezenkov initially agreed on a lucrative four-year contract with an annual salary of 4,000,000 euros for the 28-year-old Bulgarian, an amount not yet confirmed by the club from Piraeus.

Vezenkov, Bulgaria's most successful athlete at the moment, had a difficult first season in the NBA with Sacramento, where he was injured for long periods, hampering his adaptation. Last season, Vezenkov averaged 5.4 points and 2.3 rebounds in 42 games with the Sacramento Kings. There were options for his future both in the NBA and in Europe. However, it appears he will return to Olympiakos, the club that propelled him to the top of the Euroleague.