In the 2014 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers kicked off their historic tanking effort with a series of a long-term moves, including the selection of Croatian forward Dario Saric with the No. 12 overall pick. Though Saric has said on several occasions that he wants to play in the NBA, he has yet to make his way over from Europe to join the team.
Now, with former general manager and tanking guru Sam Hinkie having stepped away from the team, the 76ers want to start competing sooner rather than later. Fortunately, it sounds as if Saric is finally ready to help.
"Dario Saric, source said, told his teammates he intends to leave Europe for the Sixers this offseason," according to a recent report.
It seems as if Saric's intentions can be taken at face value this time around. The 6-foot-10, 220-pound forward can get out his current contract with Anadola Efes (Turkey) if he pays for the buyout, which reportedly costs $900,000. Philly will fork over the majority of that money, if not all of it, to expedite Saric's transfer to the NBA.
Though the 22-year-old has yet to play a single minute for the Sixers, the team has stayed in contact with the big man, and head coach Brett Brown has liked what he's seen from afar.
"Shooting, stretch-the-court threes, improved free throws, continued toughness, continued ability to pass, continued ability to rebound and lead a break. But it's wrapped up in a more refined player, especially shooting," Brown said of Saric last month.
The Croatian averaged 11.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists this past season in the Euro League. Should he finally make his way over to the United States this offseason, Philadelphia may at long last start to see the results of its long-term building plan.
The 10-72 Sixers have issues all across their roster, but there is young talent on hand. Nerlens Noel has developed into a solid defender; Jahlik Okafor may be immature, but his low-post scoring game is that of a seasoned veteran, not a callow rookie. Joel Embiid projects to be a true difference-maker if he can ever get healthy, and the Sixers have a good shot at landing the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA lottery. Sure, that's a lot of ifs, but at least this roster has upside.
Follow Brandon Katz at @Great_Katzby
