33-year-old Serbian forward Nemanja Bjelica was a potential trade target for the Philadelphia 76ers throughout the 2020-2021 NBA season.
As the Sixers needed a backup power forward to add to the roster, Bjelica was often linked to Philly in trade rumors while playing with the Sacramento Kings.
For the last three seasons, Bjelica's role slowly started to diminish. After he joined the Kings after backing out of a deal with the Sixers ahead of the 2018-2019 season, Bjelica started in a career-high of 70 games in Sacramento.
The following year, he had a career-best season in 72 games as he averaged 11 points while shooting 48-percent from the field and 42-percent from three. The next year, he fell out of favor in Sacramento.
Bjelica played in just 26 games with the Kings last year. Averaging only 16 minutes over that span, the power forward was heavily shopped by Sacramento. Many believed the Bjelica could finally join the Sixers via trade as they could've used a stretch four, but the Miami Heat landed the Serbian veteran by sending Maurice Harkless and Chris Silva to Sacramento.
Bjelica's time in Miami was forgettable, to say the least. After appearing in 11 games for the Heat, the veteran forward averaged five points per game during the regular season. While he didn't create a significant impact on the Heat as a scorer, he was still an efficient three-point shooter as he averaged 37-percent from deep during that time.
To no surprise, the Heat didn't bring Bjelica back to Miami. While he was a target for the Sixers once upon a time, Philly also didn't reel in the veteran forward. Instead, it's the Golden State Warriors who will land Bjelica for next season.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Bjelica has signed a one-year deal with the Warriors. With Bjelica headed out West, there goes another power forward off the board in free agency the Sixers could've considered.
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