Sydney Kings have chosen to relinquish their right of first refusal for Dejan Vasiljevic, allowing the Australian combo guard to sign with Adelaide 36ers, sources told ESPN.
Vasiljevic agreed to terms with the 36ers earlier in the month, sources said, but his NBL rights were held by the Kings, who had to be afforded a reasonable amount of time to consider adding him to their roster.
All parties agreed on a Tuesday deadline, which passed with the Kings ultimately expressing no desire to bring back Vasiljevic, a member of two NBL Championship-winning teams with the franchise.
The 36ers will now proceed with the signing of Vasiljevic for the remainder of the 2023-24 season, with the 26-year-old set to fill the spot vacated by Jamaal Franklin, whom the team released in the middle of the NBL Blitz.
Vasiljevic's ability to sign with another NBL team is pending the completion of the remaining terms of his buyout with the Kings, sources said. The 36ers will also need to compete his release with Washington Wizards.
The Kings confirmed the release of Vasiljevic's rights later on Tuesday afternoon, and expressed their disappointment with the process.
"While DJ played a role in the club's recent success, it became clear that to make such a significant change to our roster by having him return at the expense of one of our current rostered players was not in our best interests," Kings CEO Chris Pongrass said.
"We have the utmost confidence in the team we have built, and the success we will have with our contracted players.
"We are disappointed with how this has been handled, and another NBL team's role in this process. We originally amended the contract in good faith and completed our roster with the understanding that DJ would play internationally this season.
"While there is no perfect system, this circumstance highlights the inequity NBL clubs have in terms of protecting their interests as opposed to other leagues in the world."
Vasiljevic was originally contracted with the Kings for the 2023-24 NBL season, but the franchise amended the terms of his out clause in order for him to explore NBA and European options. The 6'3 guard ultimately signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Wizards, but he was waived before training camp. The Wizards had an expectation that Vasiljevic would play for their G-League team, the Capital City Go-Go -- as is the case with the vast majority of Exhibit 10 deals -- but he instead decided to return to Australia with an intent to join the 36ers.
Undrafted out of the University of Miami, Vasiljevic joined the Kings ahead of the 2020-21 NBL season, playing three campaigns with the franchise. He was a member of the NBL title-winning teams in 2022 and 2023; over his most recent season in Sydney, he averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, shooting 41.2% from the field and 36.3% from beyond the three-point line.
He'll join a 36ers team that sits bottom of the NBL ladder, with a 1-4 record. C.J. Bruton's team is coming off its first win of the season, an 89-80 victory over Illawarra Hawks on Saturday.