NBA Rumors: Dario Saric to join 76ers next season
Dario Saric may be making his long-awaited NBA debut next season for the 76ers.
In the 2014 NBA Draft, former Philadelphia 76ers GM selected point guard Elfrid Payton, but traded him for the rights to Dario Saric. The Croatian’s status for the 2014-15 season was unknown as he had some willingness to continue playing in the Turkish Basketball Super League. This would indeed by the case, as he stayed there for the next two seasons.
Well, it seems that Saric is finally making his way over to the Sixers for the 2016-17 NBA season, according to pro basketball reporter David Pick.
Dario Saric, source said, told his teammates he intends to leave Europe for Sixers this offseason.
— David Pick (@IAmDPick) April 24, 2016
Saric’s arrival in the NBA is just a tad late for Sam Hinkie who stepped down from his role earlier in April amidst controversy in the front office. There was also pressure on him to put out a better product than the one that had been stinking up the place for a few years.
The former No. 12 overall pick will have some lofty expectations around him from Sixer fans given how long they have had to wait for him. He’s a 6-foot-10 forward who projects as a stretch 4 in the NBA. Saric put up 11.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG and shot 40-percent from three-point range (h/t Basketball Reference). Saric could fit nicely next to the three big men for the Sixers in Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, although their statuses going into next season are in question. Okafor or Noel could be traded and Embiid hasn’t stepped on the court in two years.
Whatever the case may be, there will be plenty of eyes on Dario Saric as he likely starts his NBA career later this year.
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