Dario Saric To Stay In Europe; Will Denver Nuggets Still Take Him?
By Andrew Dill
ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images
According to ESPN.com’s Chad Ford, Dario Saric who is high on the Denver Nuggets draft board, will reportedly sign a three-year deal with a team in Turkey called the Anadolu Efes. According to Ford, the third-year of the contract is a player-option where Saric could make his jump to the NBA.
If you remember the article this past week from CBSSports NBA Insider Ken Berger, Denver may have made a promise to take the forward with the 11th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
"There are strong indications that Dario Saric’s invitation to the draft-night green room is the result of a promise from the Nuggets to grab him with the 11th pick. Teams in the mid-to-late lottery have tried to get Saric to come in for workouts, but have been told he’ll be gone by the time they pick."
So the question looms, should the Denver Nuggets still consider taking Dario Saric with the 11th overall pick? My answer: Absolutely.
Saric is a 6-foot-10, 223 forward that averaged 19.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists last season for Cibona who plays in the Adriatic League. This would make sense in the short, long-term financially for the Nuggets; especially if they sign Kenneth Faried to a contract extension and/or extensions to Danilo Gallinari or Ty Lawson.
This also makes sense due to the fact that the Nuggets have more than capable forwards on their roster already. They have Kenneth Faried backed up by J.J. Hickson and Darrell Arthur – who can play valuable minutes. At the small forward position pending any moves, they have Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and Quincy Miller. As you can see, Denver has the depth right now to compete without adding a player in the first-round. Injuries were a main cause due to the absence from the playoff picture last season.
Whether fans want to see them draft a player who will come in right away or not, this pick could be beneficial moving forward.