Dario Saric, born on April 8, 1994 is a Croatian professional basketball player. Hailing from Croatia, Saric plays for the NBA team Golden State Warriors. Being the child of basketball playing parents, Saric started to engage with the sport at an early age of 15 years.
Saric’s basketball career began in Croatia, where he gained recognition through his exceptional performances in European tournaments. Accolades such as being named the FIBA Europe Young Player of the Year caught the attention of NBA scouts.
Saric professionally played in Turkey before being drafted in the NBA. He was drafted by the Orlando Magic and was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. Saric proved to be valuable for the 76ers as signified by him being named to the All Rookie First Team and finishing Runners Up for the Rookie of the Year Award.
Creating a name for himself within the NBA, Saric eventually caught the attention of different NBA teams, a factor that led to his trade to the Minnesota Timberwolves. They used Saric as a rebounding machine and he performed well under this role, averaging 5.5 rebounds and 10.5 points on around 24 minutes per game.
In search of a more demanding role, Saric found himself playing for the San Antonio Spurs and then the Phoenix Suns. As a starter and a bench player, Saric performed well and earned himself a contract extension with the Suns. Saric went on to play for the Oklahoma City Thunder before making a return to the San Antonio Spurs. As of March 2024, Saric plays for the Golden State Warriors.
Dario Saric Trade
Dario Saric was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 9, 2023. The deal involved Phoenix Suns trading Dario Saric, a 2029 second round draft pick and cash concessions worth $1 million to the Thunder in exchange for Darius Bazley.
The Suns had traded for Kevin Durant which had led them to trade away a lot of their depth, in particular, Mikal Bridges. Darius Bazley was thought of as a good replacement for Bridges given that he was a young, unpolished player who could strive under new leadership.
Furthermore, he was expected to add defensive prowess to the team, something that the Phoenix Suns team were believed to be lacking in. With Saric being unused in big man lineups with the addition of players like Cam Johnson and Bismack Biyombu, it only made sense to make him available for trade in order to find a more useful player for the rotation.
For the Thunder, trading Bazley away made sense as he was in the final year of his rookie contract. While questions were raised due to Bazley being inexperienced, young and staying in line with Thunder’s attempt to rebuild, Thunder was also piling up draft capital for the future.
While Saric was a fan favorite in Phoenix, he remained positive about the trade to the Thunder. At the time, Saric was Thunder’s oldest player in a lineup featuring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams, Josh Giddey and Chet Holmgren.
Dario Saric Team
Dario Saric is currently playing for the Golden State Warriors, a team that is struggling to find a footing in the Western Conference. In spite of having potential hall of famers like Draymond Green and Klay Thompson playing alongside Stephen Curry and Chris Paul, the team has had its fair share of inconsistencies with Klay Thompson being out of form, Draymond Green having multiple disciplinary issues on the court and Chris Paul dealing with injuries.
There have been multiple debates spectating the end of the Warriors dynasty. However, stakeholders within the organization have dispelled these rumors with Mike Dunleavey and Steve Kerr maintaining a positive mindset and Curry providing people with hope through his brilliant performances.
Saric was seen as a perfect fit for the Golden State Warriors considering his high basketball IQ, ability to space the floor and being a versatile player from the aspect of contributing to both ends of the floor. So far in the 2023-24 NBA season (March 2024), Saric has been averaging 8.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists across 18.4 minutes of play time per game.
He has missed just 2 games in the season as of March 2024, maintaining consistent output for the Golden State Warriors. If the Warriors are able to gain stability within the team and its performance, they could very well make it past the play-in tournament and make a deep playoff run.
Dario Saric Position
Dario Saric is playing the position of a power forward for the Golden State Warriors. Being a versatile offensive player, Saric can finish under the rim and shoot from a long range aside from having great playmaking abilities. Saric can also play the role of a center for a small ball lineup as he did so during his tenure with the Phoenix Suns.
FAQ's on Dario Saric trade
A. Dario Saric was drafted as the 12th pick in the first round of the 2014 NBA draft. He was drafted by the Orlando Magic and was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.
A. Yes, Dana Saric has one sister. Her name is Dana Saric and she plays basketball for Sibenik, a basketball team in the city of Sibenik in Croatia.
A. Dario Saric was traded by the Phoenix Suns to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Darius Bazley. The Suns traded Saric along with a 2029 second round pick and cash concession.
A. Dario Saric has a recorded height of 2.08 meters which is approximately 6 feet and 8 inches.
A. Dario Saric was born on April 8, 1994. As of March 2024, Saric is 29 years old.
