Dario Saric

Dario Saric will almost certainly declare for this year’s draft, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, who writes in a series of tweets. This contradicts earlier information that Saric would not be entering the draft on the heels of agreeing in principle to a three-year, $8.27MM contract with his European team. Yesterday, we noted that the agent critical of Saric’s decision-making was expected to part ways with the Croatian forward, but Givony tweets that the agent’s relationship with Saric had ended before making the comments, and asserts that the criticism was based more on a personal grudge than accurate information.

Givony also casts doubt on the report of Saric’s contract agreement in Europe, saying that the news is “bogus” and comes from former agents who have an ax to grind. The deal that Saric was to have signed didn’t include an NBA escape clause until 2016, when he would have been automatically eligible for the draft.

Whatever Saric decides will significantly impact how the 2014 draft shakes out. The 6’10” scorer is ranked 9th overall by Givony at DraftExpress, and 14th on ESPN Insider Chad Ford’s top 100. He could always enter the draft and still opt to remain overseas, so clarity on whether he intends to jump to the NBA immediately would certainly help his draft stock, as most teams with lottery picks would want to avoid selecting a talent they couldn’t immediately begin developing. If he does declare and slide down draft board, he could be appealing as a value for teams with the luxury to wait on a “draft and stash” prospect.

The agent for Dario Saric is confident that his client is ready to play in the NBA and tells Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today that he disagrees with the Croatian prospect’s apparent decision to sign a new deal in Europe and remain there through at least next season. Robert Jablan asserts that Saric’s father is exerting undue influence on his son, who turns 20 next month and had been in line to become a lottery pick this year.

Jablan said Saric’s father may prompt him to cut ties with his client, though Saric has been expected to hire a new agent for a while. Sporando’s Emiliano Carchia believes Saric will sign with Misko Raznatovic, another prominent European agent (Twitter link). Saric’s apparent deal with Efes Pilson in Turkey would give him $8.27MM over three years, an unusually high sum for a European pact and more than he would likely make over the same timeframe on an NBA rookie scale contract. The deal would include an escape clause that would allow him to head to the NBA in 2016, when he’ll be automatically eligible for the draft.

Saric is ninth on Jonathan Givony’s top prospects list at DraftExpress, and No. 14 on the Big Board that Chad Ford of ESPN.com compiles. He’s averaged 15.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists overall this season for the Croatian club KK Cibona. He declared for the draft in 2013, only to withdraw before the deadline to do so. He has until April 27th to change his mind about the Turkish contract and enter this year’s draft.

GMs are split on whether raising the NBA’s minimum age is wise, and one of them tells Chad Ford of ESPN.com for an Insider-only piece that there are a lot of teams “eyeing 2015 with some real fear” that the change will be made quickly, stripping next year’s draft of talent. Commissioner Adam Silver is a strong proponent of moving the minimum age up from 19 years old, but the issue would be collectively bargained with the player’s union, which remains without an executive director. I’d be surprised if it happened in time for next year’s draft, but whenever the age goes up, it would no doubt slow the rebuilding process for a few teams. Here’s more:

• In another ESPN.com Insider piece, Amin Elhassan hears from an Eastern Conference executive about a proposal to raise the minimum age to 20 or 21 for collegiate players but keep it at 19 for anyone who entered the D-League out of high school. It’s unclear if the idea is gaining traction within the league.
• Lottery prospect Dario Saric tells Toni Horvat of the Croatian website 24Sata that he believes it would be best for his development to stay in Europe, but the 6’10” forward says he won’t make a decision about whether to declare for this year’s draft until after the season (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
• Saric reportedly has a lucrative offer on the table from a Turkish team, and his father tells Horvat and 24Sata colleague Ivan Zuric that his son would also consider other European options that would allow Dario to see sufficient playing time. Predrag Saric wants to see his son remain in Europe for two more seasons (translation via Carchia).

Dario Saric is only 50/50 to enter the NBA draft this year, acccording to a series of tweets from Jonathan Givony of Draft Express. Givony reports that there is a lot of confusion surrounding the Croatian small forward slated at number 9 in Chad Ford of ESPN‘s latest mock draft [subscription only].

A combination of factors are leading Givony to cast doubt on Saric’s draft entry. First, Saric doesn’t feel he’s ready for the NBA. He also isn’t happy with his draft projection and has reportedly fired agents in both Croatia and the US. Finally, the Barcelona GM was spotted at one of Saric’s recent games, fueling speculation that the international team will try and sign him to stay overseas this summer.

Saric would be old enough to join an NBA team immediately if drafted, but it remains a possibility that he could be drafted and play one or two years overseas while the NBA club that drafted him maintained his rights. It’s also possible that he could skip the draft altogether and enter for the first time when he feels more comfortable with his game and his draft stock. The 6’10” scorer/rebounder has produced well this year, and has ball-handling skills unique for a player his size.