The Toronto Raptors waived Sasha Vezenkov on Monday after he agreed to forgo his entire guaranteed salary for the upcoming season. Contract buyouts are common, but a player giving back 100% of their money is unprecedented.

This raises questions. If Vezenkov was willing to walk away for nothing, why did the Kings need to trade him, along with Davion Mitchell and two second-round picks, to the Raptors

The Raptors were in a position to force Vezenkov’s hand. If Sasha was willing to forgo his entire salary in Sacramento, the scenario would have played out differently. The Raptors had to deny multiple reports of Sasha returning overseas, stating they expected him in training camp. The Raptors had time to wait.

The Kings did not. They needed to free up cap space for their free agency moves, like the sign-and-trade for DeMar DeRozan. Choosing between DeRozan and strong-arming Sasha, DeRozan was the clear choice.

However, it’s fair to question the process that brought Sasha to the Kings. The organization made a multi-year effort to bring him over, but it failed. Many Euro players struggle with the adjustment to the NBA, dealing with being away from home, language barriers, and adapting to a reduced role. Sasha was a star overseas but expected to be a minor piece for the Kings. Add a few injuries, and that’s the end of his NBA career.

Still, the Kings’ effort to bring Vezenkov over was understandable. He was a Euroleague MVP with NBA-level skills. Given Sacramento’s offensive style, he could have been a valuable depth piece. But Sasha preferred to be the big fish in a small pond. I wonder if the Kings could have figured that out earlier.

Sasha Vezenkov’s NBA career is over, a peculiar chapter in Sacramento Kings history. But I won’t spend much time worrying about the specifics of how it ended.