July 6th 2024.
The recent free agency period has been a bit of a snooze for Nuggets fans, but that all changed when they received an unexpected jolt of excitement. It has been confirmed that Croatian big man Dario Saric will be joining the team on a two-year, $10.6 million contract, with a player option for the second year. This news was shared by a reliable source from The Denver Post on Saturday. Saric, who has been a part of the NBA for eight years now, has played for five different teams and most recently played for the Golden State Warriors, where he averaged 8.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists last season.
But Saric's basketball journey doesn't end there. He has also been representing his home country of Croatia in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament this summer. In fact, just last week, he had an impressive performance against Slovenia, earning himself a triple-double with 19 points. It was during this game that Nuggets' general manager Calvin Booth was in attendance, showing his support for Saric and his team. And now, as Croatia prepares to face the Greek national team in the final on Sunday, Saric has the opportunity to secure a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
For the Nuggets, this signing comes as a relief as they were one of the few teams that had yet to acquire any new players this offseason. The delay in signing Saric was due to his own dilemma, as he was still considering whether he wanted to continue playing in the NBA or return to Europe next season. But the interest from multiple NBA teams, as well as the Greek club Panathinaikos, ultimately led to his decision to join the Nuggets.
This won't be Saric's first time playing alongside one of the Nuggets' star players. Back in 2016, he was a part of the Croatian Olympic team that faced off against Serbia, led by none other than Nikola Jokic, in the quarterfinals. Now, Saric will be joining Jokic in Denver as his backup center. With a frontcourt that already includes players like Zeke Nnaji, DaRon Holmes II, and Vlatko Cancar, it will be interesting to see how Saric fits into the rotation.
Speaking of Nnaji, who has been in and out of the rotation since joining the team four years ago, it's possible that Saric's arrival could provide some stability and depth at the center position. And while the Nuggets' front office sees Holmes more as a power forward than a center, they still saw the need to add another big man to their bench in the free agent market.
In case you were wondering, Saric was originally drafted 12th overall by the Orlando Magic in 2014, but his rights were then traded to the Philadelphia 76ers on draft night. He spent the next two years playing for the Turkish club Anadolu Efes before finally making his way to the NBA, where he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2016-17. He has since played for the 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder, and most recently, the Warriors.
With his ability to space the floor and his impressive 38.1% 3-point shooting percentage since returning from an ACL injury, Saric will surely be a valuable addition to the Nuggets' second unit. And for those who can't get enough of the Nuggets, be sure to sign up for the Nuggets Insider to stay updated on all the latest news and analysis.
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