After back-to-back championships with the Sydney Kings, Dejan Vasiljevic and Xavier Cooks are once again united, this time with the Washington Wizards.
Vasiljevic completed a whirlwind free agent workout with the Wizards on Monday, with the team opting to bring in the 6'3" guard for the summer showcase.
"I think the word we use is inseparable," Vasiljevic responded to ESPN when asked about the connection with Cooks.
"The last three years we've been together and they can't get rid of us that easily. As soon as I landed on Sunday we were out to dinner, Monday we were hanging out all day and then Tuesday went out to dinner again before I flew out.
"It's going to be great; we complement each other really well. He is an unbelievable player and I just feed off him, he makes my life so much easier. I can hit him with a pocket pass, he'll finish, he'll find me, we just play the right type of basketball. I'm looking forward to stepping out with him again, but this time at the NBA Summer League."
For Kings fans, the reunion may come with mixed emotions, as the NBL franchise faces a season without the two local stars in purple and gold. As reported by ESPN, Vasiljevic has exercised the NBA and Europe out in his contract, with the sharpshooter eyeing overseas opportunities, with Summer League first on the agenda.
"I feel like I've had a tremendous two years in the NBL. The next step for me is to exercise my NBA and Euro out and see where the next adventure takes me," Vasiljevic explained.
"I'm trying to push hard to get this 2-way contract in the United States, if not, there are a lot of teams asking for my services. The time is now, the opportunity is there."
The success of Vasiljevic continues Sydney's recent run of facilitating the pathway for star NBL talent to head overseas, with the franchise fully supportive of the 26 year old's next step.
"This isn't saying goodbye to the Sydney Kings, I've had in depth discussions with Chris Pongrass and Luc Longley straight after the finals about the opportunities. They supported it, they want me to go and explore and create new opportunities and avenues. They said the door will always be open at the Kings and I've told them, if I ever return to the NBL it's only going to be for one team and that's the Sydney Kings.
"The fans, once they hear this, they might be disappointed, but I have to thank them. My first season we were playing in front of five or six thousand, this past season in the finals we sold out back-to-back games and claimed back-to-back titles. I'm very thankful for the Sydney fanbase."
Vasiljevic's preparation for Summer League is vastly different from last year when he suited up for the Phoenix Suns. Rather than staying in Australia, he headed to Miami after the NBL season to work out for the last two months, with an eye to landing an opportunity with an NBA franchise.
"It's much different to last year where I finished the NBL in May, played NBL1 and all of a sudden, I was on the Phoenix roster for Summer League," Vasiljevic explained. I got the phone call around 10 days ago, Washington was interested in bringing me in for a free agent workout."
"It was intense. I got (to Washington) on Sunday, first workout was 7am on Monday, we went through physicals, the whole gym procedure, meet the coaching staff and players and then bang, next thing you know we were into it."
"The whole front office, the coaching staff, I got to meet the new GM, the No. 7 pick from France, Bilal Coulibaly was there, Johnny Davis was there, Xavier Cooks."
"The last two days have felt like I was in a different zone. I left knowing I gave everything I could. I told my agent, all I needed was a chance to show what I could do."
The Wizards tip off their Summer League campaign on Saturday, July 8 (local time), against the Indiana Pacers. Despite lofty goals for the coming months, Vasiljevic is planning to enter the tournament with an open mind as to what could eventuate.
"I try not to put that much pressure on myself because then I start to overthink," he explained. "For me, go in and do what you do best, shoot and defend. I can't think of the next shot.
"I'm going to go into Summer League free minded. I get to spend two weeks with a great organisation, I get to watch other high-level picks, it's really cool, it will be a great two weeks."
"I think I fit really well, they welcomed me with open arms and I had a really great conversation with the GM and head coach after camp. They said they want me in Summer League, they asked if I had other opportunities and I did, but I wanted to play somewhere where I was wanted and I feel like I'm wanted here, it was a great vibe overall."