Nemanja Bjelica was getting ready for a fresh start in the NBA, all set to take a one-year deal with the up-and-coming Philadelphia 76ers in hopes of re-establishing his value and finding a more consistent role on the court.



In the weeks that followed his agreement on a one-year, $4.449 million contract, Bjelica remained in Serbia with his wife and two young children where they spend every offseason. The more he thought about uprooting them from Minnesota, a place the family had found comfort in over three seasons with the Timberwolves, to move to Philadelphia for about eight months, the more he started to second guess his decision.



That led to his decision on Monday to inform the Sixers that he would not be signing their offer and instead has turned his attention toward a return to European basketball. He was the Euroleague MVP for Fenerbahce in 2015.



“It’s not about coach or the Philly organization,” Bjelica told The Athletic in a phone...