Serbian forward Nemanja Popović commits to Memphis

It was reported on Saturday that Serbian forward Nemanja Popović has committed to Memphis. The commitment fills the 15th and final spot on the Tigers’ roster for the 2026 season.

Popović is a 24-year-old forward who has played professional basketball in Europe since 2019. After spending two years playing for Crvena Zvezda’s U19 team, the forward signed with OKK Beograd in the Serbian KLS league, which is the top-tier men’s professional basketball league in Serbia, ahead of the 2019-2020 season.

In his first professional season, he averaged 11.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists. 

Popović spent the next five seasons playing for different clubs in Serbia, the Adriatic League and, most recently, in Poland. 

In May, he finished his first season in the PLK league in Poland with King Szczecin. He averaged 14.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 27 games, and he shot 54.7 percent from the field and 74.6 percent from the free-throw line.

He recorded a season-high 27 points in early May against Legia. In that game, he went 10-for-17 from the field and grabbed nine rebounds. 

Popović isn’t a three-point shooter, and he only attempted 11 three-pointers during the season, making one. 

While playing for King Szczecin, Popović was teammates with former Tiger Malcolm Dandridge and former Duke and Baylor guard Jeremy Roach. It will be interesting to see if Dandridge played any role in connecting Penny Hardaway to the forward.

At 6-foot-9, Popović is an athletic forward who uses his length and impressive wingspan to be a factor around the rim. While the forward isn’t a great three-point shooter, he can play on the perimeter or with his back to the basket.

Popović has flashed the ability to get to the rim off the dribble, but he also has a jump hook that he likes to use on the block. Despite only averaging two offensive rebounds per game, he has shown the ability to be a threat with second-chance points.

Defensively, he is athletic enough to guard multiple positions, and he averaged a block and 0.7 steals last season.

 The forward will join the team this summer, and he will have one season of eligibility. The addition fills Memphis’ final roster spot for the upcoming season, and it will be interesting to see how Hardaway sets the rotation. 

Popović should have an advantage due to his overseas experience, but it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to the American game.

The Tigers had all 14 players on campus for summer workouts earlier this month, and Popović should join the team in the next few weeks.