April 24, 2016
Everything we have heard from and about Dario Saric is that the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft wants to join the Sixers this offseason. Now with Anadolu Efes’ season winding down and the summer approaching, European basketball insider David Pick is saying nothing has changed on that front.
In fact, it sounds like both Saric and his coach will both leave Istanbul next season:
Source: Dusan Ivkovic informed locker room of his dismissal as head coach of Anadolu Efes.
— David Pick (@IAmDPick) April 24, 2016
Dario Saric, source said, told his teammates he intends to leave Europe for Sixers this offseason.
— David Pick (@IAmDPick) April 24, 2016
In all leagues this season, Saric is averaging 11.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game. He is shooting 49 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from three, and 84 percent from the free-throw line.
Brett Brown has been in constant communication with Saric via text. Like the rest of us, he’s not exactly sure what position the 6’10” 22-year-old will play in the NBA.
“I think that when we see him we’re going to learn more,” Brown said a few weeks ago. “I don’t know if I’d want to say he’s a 3 or a 4. He’s a 3-4, 4-3 do-all.”
Again, Saric leaving this season doesn’t make much financial sense from his standpoint. But if he wants to get his NBA career started as soon as possible, the Sixers could potentially have one of the league’s best contracts if (and it's a big "if") the Croatian forward pans out.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
