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Nemanja Bjelica

Nemanja Bjelica

37-Year-Old ForwardF
 Free Agent  Foreign  
Free Agent
2024 Stats
PTS
0.0
REB
0.0
AST
0.0
STL
0.0
BLK
0.0
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BLK
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2024 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Nemanja Bjelica in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
RANKS
Current Season
From Preseason
Height 6'9"
Weight 234
DOB 5/9/1988
College Serbia
Drafted 2nd Rd, #5 in 2010
Signed a one-year, $2.09 million contract with the Warriors in August of 2021.
Personal Bio/PreCareer Summary

Bjelica is the son of Milovan and Slavica Bjelica. He was born in 1988 in Belgrade, Serbia, when the city was still the capital of Yugoslavia. Before joining the Timberwolves in 2015, Bjelica played professionally in Austria, Serbia, Spain and Turkey. His full name is pronounced NEH-men-yah bee-a-LITZ-ah. He credits legendary Serbian and European coach Svetislav Pesic with much of his basketball development. Since 2009, the 6-foot-10 forward has played with the Serbian National Team. Also known as "Belly", the big man helped plant trees at Common Ground Church in Sacramento as part of the Green Acres City of 3's program. He was married in 2012, and former NBA player Nenad Kristic was his best man at the wedding. Fans can follow "Belly" on Twitter (@NemanjaBjelica) and Instagram (nemanjabjelica8). Nemanja Bjelica played professionally in four different countries before joining the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2015. He started his professional career in 2007-08 in the Austrian League with the Arkadia Traiskrichen Lions, with whom he averaged 8.5 points over 26 contests. He then returned to his native Serbia for two seasons with Crvena zvezda. Despite his 6-foot-10 frame, he was trusted with frequent ball handling duties. After his second season in Serbia, Bjelica was drafted in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, but his rights were traded to Minnesota shortly afterwards. Later that summer Bjelica opted to sign an agreement with the Spanish club Saski Baskonia. He played three seasons with Baskonia and, in his last season, averaged 9.9 points with 4.8 rebounds while shooting 46 percent from the field. "Belly" then played two seasons with Turkish team Fenerbahce Ulker. With Fenerbahce, Bjelica was named the EuroLeague MVP for the 2014-15 season. He led the EuroLeague that year in defensive rebounds (192). He was second in rebounds (246), as well as third in steals (37), seventh in offensive rebounds (54) and ninth in points (350). Bjelica finally joined the Timberwolves in 2015.

Signs with Crvena Zvezda
FFree Agent
September 12, 2023
Bjelica signed a contract with Crvena Zvezda on Tuesday, Eurohoops.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Bjelica signed a two-year deal with Fenerbache but was let go after just one season. The veteran quickly found a new home and will look to bounce back from his injury-plagued 2022-23 campaign. Bjelica hasn't played in the NBA since winning a title with the Warriors in 2021-22.
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Stat Review
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2020
2019
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2016
How does Nemanja Bjelica compare to other players?
This section compares his stats with all players from the previous three seasons (minimum 200 minutes played)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
  • True Shooting %
    An advanced statistic that measures a player's efficiency at shooting the ball that takes field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three point percentage into account.
  • Effective Field Goal %
    A statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points while field goals only count for two points.
  • 3-Point Attempt Rate
    Percentage of field goal attempts from three point range.
  • Free Throw Rate
    Number of free throw attempts per field goal attempt.
  • Offensive Rebound %
    An estimate of the percentage of available offensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
  • Defensive Rebound %
    An estimate of the percentage of available defensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
  • Total Rebound %
    An estimate of the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
  • Assist %
    An estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while they were on the floor.
  • Steal %
    An estimate of the percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal by the player while they were on the floor.
  • Block %
    An estimate of the percentage of opponent two-point field goal attempts blocked by the player while they were on the floor.
  • Turnover %
    An estimate of turnovers committed per 100 plays.
  • Usage %
    An estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while they were on the floor.
  • Fantasy Points Per Game
    NBA Fantasy Points Per Game.
  • Fantasy Points Per Minute
    NBA Fantasy Points Per Minute.
True Shooting %
57.3%
 
Effective Field Goal %
54.7%
 
3-Point Attempt Rate
43.6%
 
Free Throw Rate
23.7%
 
Offensive Rebound %
6.1%
 
Defensive Rebound %
21.6%
 
Total Rebound %
14.1%
 
Assist %
19.7%
 
Steal %
1.6%
 
Block %
2.2%
 
Turnover %
13.9%
 
Usage %
17.8%
 
Fantasy Points Per Game
16.0
 
Fantasy Points Per Minute
1.0
 
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NBA Historical Fantasy Stats
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Our historical fantasy ratings are standard scores calculated using 8-Category settings with 12 teams and 13 players per team.
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Nemanja Bjelica See More
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
Bjelica had the smallest role of his career last season. He appeared in just 37 games due to a combination of injury and DNP-Coach's Decisions between both the Kings and the Heat. He ranked an abysmal 348th in per-game fantasy production behind averages of 6.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists. Heading into the 2021-22 season, the 33-year-old will be on his third new team in two seasons, joining the Warriors. He figures to be in the mix for reserve frontcourt minutes, but Golden State isn't short on depth after making some other additions. Bjelica will be competing for minutes with rookies Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, plus Otto Porter, Andre Iguodala, Juan Toscano-Anderson and even Kevon Looney. Bjelica may not end up being an every-game player for the Warriors. He should only be drafted in very deep fantasy leagues.
Bjelica saw the biggest role of his career last season, starting 67 of his 72 appearances and garnering 27.9 minutes per game. The result was career highs essentially across the board, with the forward averaging 11.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.9 threes and 1.5 combined steals-plus-blocks. He cracked the top 100 in fantasy for the first time as well, ranking 86th on a per-game basis in eight-category leagues. Much of Bjelica's increased playing time was the result of Marvin Bagley appearing in just 13 games due to injury. This season, Bagley is entering the season healthy. If he stays on the court, Bjelica could see a dip in playing time. The Kings added Hassan Whiteside as well, making it less likely Bjelica sees time at center, as he did for 19 percent of his minutes last season. Chances are, his fantasy stock will fall this season, but he figures to still make for a quality late-round option in deeper leagues.
Bjelica finished with career highs across nearly every category last season, including points (9.6), rebounds (5.8), assists (1.9), threes (1.3), blocks (0.7) and minutes (23.2) per game. Bjelica also matched his career high in steals per game (0.7), turned in a career-best field goal percentage (47.9), appeared in a career-high 77 games, and drew over three times as many starts (70) as he did through his first three seasons combined (22). Bjelica's ability to stretch the floor from beyond the arc (40.1 percent) helped him hold down the fort as the starting power forward on the Kings for the vast majority of the campaign. Still, Marvin Bagley was slowly but surely eating away at Bjelica's minutes as the year went on, and it's reasonable to assume that will continue going forward, not to mention the addition of Trevor Ariza. All things considered, it could prove difficult for Bjelica to maintain last season's per-game averages, and he should only be considered in the late rounds of most fantasy leagues.
Bjelica saw the most run of his career last season with the Timberwolves, which was the third year of his NBA career. At age 29, he averaged 6.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 20.5 minutes per tilt. Notably, he shot over 40 percent from beyond the arc, drilling 1.1 threes per tilt. He also started 21 games in the wake of Jimmy Butler’s knee injury, averaging 10.8 points in those efforts, which included one 30-point double-double against the Celtics. This year, it’s unlikely he garners a bigger role with the Kings. he'll presumably be a backup to Marvin Bagley at power forward, and may be able to compete for some time at small forward. Plus, even when he garnered significant run last season, his upside was relatively low, save for one performance. So, Bjelica can probably be safely avoided in most standard Fantasy leagues in 2018-19.
Bjelica’s second year in the league wasn’t much different as his first, as he garnered just 18.3 minutes, providing 6.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. The 29-year-old also shot just 42.4 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from deep last season compared to 46.8 and 38.4 respectively two seasons ago. He likely won’t be in line for much of a workload boost heading into the 2017-18 season, either, as the Timberwolves added veteran power forward Taj Gibson to the mix over the summer, not to mention already-present Gorgui Dieng. Bjelica will seemingly have to fight hard in training camp to have any chance to boost his role. As a result, he can probably be safely avoided in seemingly every Fantasy format on draft day.
Though he was first selected in the 2010 NBA Draft, Bjelica didn't immediately transition into the NBA. Instead, he elected to remain in Serbia to hone his craft, and ended his Euroleague career as the 2015 MVP of the league. The 27-year-old finally made his NBA debut this season, and introduced himself to the league by drilling multiple triples in five of his first nine appearances. However, a knee injury ended up providing a roadblock in the rookie's season, and he subsequently fell out of coach Sam Mitchell's rotation before reemerging in April. Bjelica then sat out the 2016 Summer Olympics while recovering from a leg injury. He may get a boost from new head coach Tom Thibodeau as his three-point shooting could get him significant minutes as one of the top front court options off the bench.
Bjelica is entering his first season in the NBA after being brought over from Turkey this offseason. As a 6-10 small forward, Bjelica has intriguing size for his position and should challenge for spot minutes at both forward slots for Minnesota in 2015-16. Bjelica's averages for 2014-15 were 12.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 28 minutes per game. He shot 35 percent on three-pointers for his European club last season, while making 0.9 three-pointers per game, so a stretch-four role is not out of the question for the first-year-player, should he earn one. Bjelica also has the reputation as a point-forward in Europe, despite only 1.9 assists last season in Turkey, so it's possible he has some playmaking upside as well. There will be an adjustment to professional ball in the United States, but it will be worth watching Bjelica in training camp, as his skill set could make him an interesting prospect should he carve out a role with the Timberwolves.
More Fantasy News
Returning to Turkey
FFree Agent
July 1, 2022
Bjelica told the Warriors on Friday that he is leaving the NBA and will sign with a club in Turkey for the 2022-23 season, Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com reports.
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Goes for 19-12-6 in win
FGolden State Warriors
April 4, 2022
Bjelica contributed 19 points (7-11 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 12 rebounds, six assists and two blocks over 30 minutes during Sunday's 109-90 win over Sacramento.
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Not on injury report
FGolden State Warriors
March 19, 2022
Bjelica (illness) isn't on the injury report for Sunday's game against the Spurs, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reports.
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Questionable Sunday
FGolden State Warriors
Illness
March 18, 2022
Bjelica (illness) is questionable for Sunday's matchup against the Spurs, Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com reports.
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Won't play Wednesday
FGolden State Warriors
Illness
March 16, 2022
Bjelica (illness) won't play in Wednesday's game against Boston, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Commanding heavy interest
FSacramento Kings
March 5, 2021
Several teams are expected to chase Bjelica before the trade deadline, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
ANALYSIS
Bjelica spent time out of the Kings' rotation but has since returned, and he's averaging 8.5 points per game while shooting 33.3 percent from three-point range in 19 appearances -- he would be an excellent addition to any contending team looking to add another floor-stretching threat. The 76ers, Heat, Warriors, Bucks and Celtics are among the teams that have shown interest in Bjelica, and the Kings are widely expected to move him at some point before this month's deadline.
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