Zoran arrived at the facility before sunrise.
Not because he was told to. Not because he still had access. He wasn't on the roster anymore. He wasn't even on the practice schedule. But someone had forgotten to deactivate his building code, and until that changed, he kept walking in like he belonged.
Because for ten days, he had.
And if they were going to take it from him, they'd have to say it to his face.
The gym was dark except for the red glow of emergency lights near the tunnels. Zoran flicked the switch in the far corner, enough to illuminate half a court. He dropped his bag and began his rhythm.
Mid-post footwork. Reverse pivot. Two-dribble pull-up.
It was the only thing in his life right now that still responded exactly how it was supposed to.
Swish.
By 8:00 a.m., the building buzzed with staff. Training interns filtered in with clipboards and cups of protein mix. Assistant coaches shuffled past him, their nods awkward, like he was a ghost haunting his own locker.
No one asked him to leave.
No one invited him to stay.
Just more of the same.
But today, he felt it cracking.
Outside, media vans were parked just across the street. A few local beat reporters hung around the facility entrance, whispering, checking their phones. One of them tried to snap a photo of Zoran walking in, but he dipped into the hallway before the shutter clicked.
The NBA's "informal review" had gone public.
Shams posted it at 6:43 a.m. EST:
"Sources: The NBA is conducting an inquiry into whether the Dallas Mavericks violated fair use of player rights in relation to unsigned guard Zoran Vranes, whose 10-day contract expired three days ago but who remains under roster control with no formal release."
Within minutes, it was everywhere.
Stephen A. Smith went live on First Take to call it "a new low in organizational cowardice."
Zoran sat in the empty film room around 10:15, just scrolling.
#FreeZoran was trending again. This time, it wasn't just fans. Verified players began chiming in.
Paolo Banchero retweeted a clip of Zoran's 17-point performance against Miami with the caption: "Why is this guy not in the league right now?"
Franz Wagner posted a black screen on his Instagram story with just one word: "Ridiculous."
Even Jokic had said something vague in a postgame presser the night before: "There's too much politics in this league."
Everyone knew who he meant.
Nico Harrison finally called.
This time, Zoran picked up.
"Come in," Nico said. "Now."
He didn't yell. He didn't ask.
Just commanded.
The office was different today. More tense. Nico didn't offer coffee. Didn't stand.
"We're getting buried," he said, not wasting time. "Worse than I thought. You've become a symbol."
"I didn't ask to be."
"You didn't have to. The league's asking questions. The players' union is now involved. If this drags on another 24 hours, it becomes a formal arbitration."
Zoran sat down. "Then let it."
Nico looked at him, eyes narrow. "You don't want to be here anymore, do you?"
Zoran took a breath. "I did. I really did. But the moment I felt like an inconvenience instead of a teammate… that changed."
Nico ran a hand over his face. "We've got internal pressure now too. Luka's people reached out. He's not even here anymore, but his camp doesn't want this organization looking petty. Kyrie spoke to the front office. Anthony Davis went public last night."
Zoran blinked. "What?"
Nico pulled up the tweet.
@AntDavis23: "If he can hoop, let him hoop. This ain't how you treat your own."
Zoran stared at it.
"I can't control what people post," Nico muttered. "But I can tell you this: I didn't expect you to turn into a national conversation."
Zoran leaned forward. "So what's your move?"
"We'll release your rights by tomorrow. You're free to sign wherever you want."
Zoran waited for the catch.
"But," Nico added, "we're going to put out a joint PR statement. Something clean. No blame. We spin it as a 'mutual decision' for roster flexibility. No bad optics."
Zoran nodded slowly. "Fine. But I'm writing my own part."
Nico stared for a long second, then nodded. "Fair."
By afternoon, it was official.
DALLAS MAVERICKS AND ZORAN VRANES MUTUALLY PART WAYS
The press release was generic. Filled with words like professionalism, mutual respect, and future opportunities.
But Zoran's quote stood out.
"I gave everything I had. I leave with no bitterness—only focus. There's still basketball ahead."
In Orlando, the front office called Marko before the press release even finished circulating.
"We're ready. Let's get it done."
Zoran didn't smile. Not yet.
He walked back onto the practice court, stood at the free-throw line, and shot until the lights dimmed.
This time, every shot felt like movement.
Mavericks Record: 5–4.
Zoran Vranes: Officially released. Free agent. Orlando expected to sign within 48 hours.