When the 76ers acquired forward Dario Saric, drafted with the 14th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft and then traded to the Sixers, they knew there would either have to be an extensive contract negotiation or buyout necessary to bring Saric to the United States. Barring a buyout, Saric, under a three-year contract with the Anadolu Efes in Turkey, would not be eligible to come to the United Sates until the 2016-2017. However, his contract status makes that complicated.
Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Daily News is reporting that the Sixers are losing optimism that Saric will come to the United States:
It doesn’t sound optimistic that Dario Saric will play for the 76ers next season.
Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo and coach Brett Brown met with Saric and his agent Wednesday in Turkey to discuss his plans.
“The timing of him coming to the NBA is still in question,” Colangelo told NBA.com Friday while in Treviso, Italy at the addidas Eurocamp. “I believe there’s a desire on both sides to make it happen sooner rather than later. But at the same time, the contract scenario, economics, etc. all plays a part in that decision making. We’ll know soon enough whether it’s going to happen for this particular season. That’s our goal and our desire. I think in the next few weeks we’ll have more clarity.”
With the current NBA collective bargaining agreement, it may be more financially lucrative for Saric to wait.
Saric can join the Sixers by opting out of his current contract in Turkey. But if he were to wait one more year, Saric would not be bound by the NBA rookie salary. Thus, with the opportunity to make more in 2016-2017 in Turkey, Saric could then negotiate a larger deal in 2017-2018.
The Sixers, of course, are looking to start winning, and missing Saric would be a kink in their plans. As the Sixers look forward to picking first in the NBA draft on June 23, the goal of assembling a team out of the stockpile of talent would be much easier with Saric than without him. Stay tuned.
