DENVER, CO – JANUARY 11: Nikola Jokic (15) of the Denver Nuggets works against Dario Saric (20) of the Phoenix Suns during the second quarter at Ball Arena in Denver on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Free agency put Nuggets fans to sleep, only to wake them up abruptly.
Croatian big man Dario Saric and the Nuggets have agreed to a two-year, $10.6 million deal with an option on the second year, league sources told The Denver Post on Saturday. An eight-year NBA veteran, Saric has played with five teams, most recently averaging 8.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists for the Golden State Warriors last season.
Saric, 30, also resumed his role with the national team this summer at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament hosted by Croatia. He recorded a 19-point triple-double in a group-stage win over Slovenia last week, as Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth was in attendance for the tournament in Piraeus, Greece.
After beating the Dominican Republic on Saturday, Croatia will face Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Greek national team in the final on Sunday with a place at the 2024 Paris Olympics at stake.
Six days into the NBA’s free-agent moratorium, Denver was one of the last teams yet to acquire a new player this offseason. Part of the delay with Saric was due to its own dilemma. The Nuggets considered him a priority target, but he was deciding whether he wanted to play in the NBA or Europe next season, according to a league source. Several NBA teams had shown interest in him, as well as Greek club Panathinaikos. Denver, a source said, had confidence in Saric even as other free agents were cut throughout the past week.
Saric spent two years under contract with Turkish club Anadolu Efes after being selected 12th overall in 2014. When he finally made his debut with Philadelphia, he finished second in NBA Rookie of the Year voting for the 2016-17 season. He has played for the 76ers, Timberwolves, Suns, Thunder and Warriors.
In 2016, Saric was part of the Croatian Olympic team that was eliminated by Nikola Jokic and Serbia in the quarterfinals in Rio de Janeiro. Saric now arrives in Denver to contribute to a deep front line behind Jokic. He joins a center depth chart that currently includes Zeke Nnaji and DaRon Holmes II.
Nnaji has been in and out of the rotation throughout his four-year career, so Nuggets coach Michael Malone and management could envision Saric as a more reliable veteran option to play small-ball center on the second unit. And Booth has made it clear that he views Holmes, the first-round draft pick, as a fourth rather than a fifth — a big reason the Nuggets felt it necessary to pursue another big bench player in free agency. They can also lean more on size at the position if Holmes plays the four and Peyton Watson is able to play the three, his most natural fit.
Saric should provide another option on the floor for Denver’s second unit. Since returning from an ACL injury that sidelined him for the 2021-22 season, he has made 38.1 percent of his three-point attempts over the last two years.
If the Nuggets bring back free agents Vlatko Cancar and DeAndre Jordan, acquiring Saric will give them a roster spot. Backup point guard is their biggest remaining need. Denver has shown interest in Russell Westbrook as a possible solution at that position behind Jamal Murray, according to a league source.
Westbrook is under contract with the Clippers after picking up his $4 million player option in June, but the team is reportedly looking for trade partners or could buy out his contract. The Nuggets no longer have their mid-level exception after signing Saric, but that doesn’t rule out a Westbrook trade.
On the front line, Saric will likely push Jordan further back in the rotation next season. Jordan has been alternating with Nnaji at backup center in 2023-24, but assuming he returns to Denver for his age-36 season, his role will be more focused on leadership in the locker room.
Want to know more about the Nuggets? Sign up for Nuggets Insider to get all of our NBA analysis.
News Source : www.denverpost.com
Gn sports
