Dario Saric Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Links: 2015, D-League, Saric

March 11th, 2014 at 2:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

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).

Draft Notes: Saric, Stauskas, Lakers

March 7th, 2014 at 5:57pm CST by Cray Allred

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak and vice president of player personnel Jim Buss are expected to scout the Big 12 tournament next week, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter). Prospects in the Big 12 for the 2014 draft include Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins, Marcus Smart, Isaiah Austin, Cory Jefferson, LeBryan Nash, and Markel Brown. Embiid, Wiggins, and Smart are projected in the lottery, where L.A. will likely be picking. The Lakers owe their second round pick to the Bucks, although they could certainly acquire one on or before draft night. Here are more rumors surrounding the draft:

Turkish team Anadolu Efes is set to offer NBA draft prospect Dario Saric a five-year deal worth 6 million euros, or about $8.32MM, a source tells Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia, who notes that there are rumors the offer would cover only three years. Saric, a potential lottery pick, is undecided about whether to enter the draft this year, but he’s seriously considering the offer from Turkey, Carchia hears. The deal would include an NBA escape clause for 2016, when Saric will be automatically eligible for the NBA draft.
Saric is expected to hire a new agent at the end of the season, and his choice figures to significantly impact his call on his decision to declare for the draft, Carchia tweets.
Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com has Saric at No. 10 on his latest draft board, which features Jabari Parker on top.
An NBA scout tells David Mayo of MLive.com that Michigan shooting guard Nik Stauskas would likely go in the late teens or early-20s if he entered the draft this year.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Dario Saric May Not Enter Draft

February 22nd, 2014 at 9:59am CST by Cray Allred

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.

International Notes: Saric, Ajinca, Jeter

September 14th, 2013 at 12:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, we learned that former No. 6 overall pick Yi Jianlian agreed to a new two-year deal in the Chinese Basketball Association that, somewhat surprisngly, does not include an NBA out clause. Jianlian’s first go-round in the NBA was far from dazzling, but he looked rather strong last season in the CBA and had some wondering if he turned a corner in his professional career. Here’s more from around the globe..

In a piece for ESPN.com, Mark Woods spoke with Dario Saric, who pulled out of this year’s draft despite being ticketed for a first-round selection. Scouts who have watched him play over the last couple of seasons say that he is as close to a can’t-miss prospect as there is, but Saric says that he withdrew his name based on his own assessment of his readiness.
Big man Alexis Ajinca says his contract with Strasbourg of the French League still includes an NBA out clause and his agent is looking at options in the NBA, according to HoopsHype (via Twitter). Ajinca, taken 20th overall by the Bobcats in the 2008 Draft, says that he wasn’t mentally or physicially ready for the challenge of the NBA but believes that he’ll return (Twitter links). The 25-year-old is doing well at the Eurobasket, averaging 10.7 PPG and 6.9 RPG in less than 20 minutes per contest.
Guard Pooh Jeter, currently playing in Ukraine, still hopes to return to the NBA, writes Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. Jeter, 29, spent the 2010/11 season with the Kings, averaging 4.1 PPG and 2.6 RPG in less than 14 minutes per game.
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Hoops Rumors’ International Player Movement Tracker.

Odds & Ends: Barea, Kenyon, Sampson, Copeland

July 6th, 2013 at 12:41am CST by Chuck Myron

Here's more from the NBA on an landmark night in free agency:

A Dallas source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities that the Mavs' agreement with Jose Calderon likely knocks them out of discussions for J.J. Barea. Still, the Wolves remain upbeat about their chances of a Barea deal with the Mavs, in what would be a salary dump enabling Minnesota to clear money for a defensive-minded wing player (All Twitter links).
The Spurs have been one of many teams reportedly interested in Kenyon Martin, and now they're "in hot pursuit" of the veteran big man, though the Knicks and others remain in play, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game heard that Rockets assistant coach Kelvin Sampson wouldn't return to the team, but Sampson tells Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston that he'll be back in Houston. (Twitter links). "That's just a bad rumor," Sampson said. "I'm looking forward to a great year with the Rockets."
The Pacers and Chris Copeland discussed a third year that would have been a team option, but settled instead on their two-year, $6.12MM agreement, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group briefly looks at what the Warriors could do with the trade exceptions they'll acquire as part of their deal with the Jazz. He also hears that the W's see Andre Iguodala as capable of handling backup point guard duties, so the team will prioritize finding a backup center over a backup point guard (Sulia link).
In a separate piece, Thompson recounts the steps Iguodala took on the way to his agreement with the Warriors, noting that Iggy has long considered Golden State a desirable destination.
Lately, agent Dan Fegan has been preoccupied with other free agent clients, such as Dwight Howard, so he and the Wizards have yet to begin discussing an extension for John Wall, writes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Wall is extension-eligible this season, and will hit restricted free agency next summer if he and the Wizards don't strike a deal by Halloween.
In an interview with DraftExpress.com, Dario Saric suggests that the Mavericks were interested in making him a promise at No. 13 had he not withdrawn from last week's draft.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Odds & Ends: Rivers, Saric, Clippers, D-League

June 16th, 2013 at 9:35pm CST by Zachary Links

While the big talk in the NBA right now is whether Doc Rivers will wind up coaching for the Celtics or Clippers next season, there's always the possibility that he takes the 2013/14 season off. If that's the case, Rivers could go from behind the bench to back behind a microphone, a source tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. "You guys (media) have been around Doc long enough to know that's always been something he's talked about," the source said. "So it shouldn't come as a surprise. And frankly, now is probably as good a time as any for him to go that route." Here's more from around the Association..

One team picking in the lottery promised Dario Saric that they would draft him this year if he guaranteed he'd play in the NBA next year, but he said no, tweets Chad Ford of ESPN.com. Earlier tonight we learned that the Croatian forward will formally withdraw from the draft tomorrow with an eye on the 2014 draft.
Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld wonders what the next move for the Clippers will be. The Clippers want to be active on the open market, but it's difficult to project how they will fill out their roster with free agents until they’ve taken care of their own players, especially Chris Paul.
This weekend's D-League tryouts are over, and Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside rounds up the intriguing prospects.
Before tonight's game, Heat big man Chris Andersen was asked about his thoughts on George Karl's dismissal from the Nuggets. “It’s never a good feeling to get released or get fired, so I can imagine how he feels," the former Nugget said, tweets Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida.

Dario Saric To Withdraw From Draft

June 16th, 2013 at 8:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Croatian forward Dario Saric will withdraw from the 2013 draft, agent Marc Cornstein told Chad Ford of ESPN.com. Saric has signed his letter of withdrawal and Cornstein will deliver it to the NBA on Monday, the deadline for international players to withdraw.

Saric was ranked at No. 11 Ford's list of prospects and at one point was regarded as a lottery pick by many NBA general managers and scouts. Saric was under serious consideration from the Pelicans, Trail Blazers, 76ers, Thunder, and Mavericks. Even though Mavs GM Donnie Nelson and Pelicans GM Dell Demps flew to Croatia to see Saric play recently, Saric was concerned he wouldn't get playing time in the NBA or would have a lengthy stint in the D-League.

Saric believes that with another season under his belt, he'll secure a higher spot in the draft and a bigger role in the NBA, Cornstein said. On the flip side, Saric will be vying with a much stronger talent class in the 2014 draft.

Draft Updates: Saric, Cavs, Noel, Knicks

June 11th, 2013 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

As I suggested last week when a report surfaced that Dario Saric was withdrawing from the 2013 draft, it sounds like he and his representatives have yet to make the decision official. Still, all signs are pointing to Saric pulling out of this year's class, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The Croatian forward has until next Monday at 4:00pm central time to make a formal decision.

Here are a few more of the latest draft-related updates:

ESPN.com's Chad Ford believes there's a good chance Saric would go in the top 10 if he remained in the draft, adding that scouts familiar with Europe don't think there's a huge difference between Saric and Otto Porter.
Speaking of Porter, Ford says he remains a possibility for the Cavaliers at No. 1, since Cleveland is still a couple weeks away from making up its mind.
Could Nerlens Noel be available for the Bobcats when they pick fourth overall? One player-personnel executive connected to a lottery team thinks so, telling Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer that he believes the first three picks in the draft will be, in some order, Anthony Bennett, Ben McLemore, and Porter.
Tim Hardaway Jr., Glen Rice Jr., and Phil Pressey, three sons of former NBA players, will work out for the Knicks today, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
Lucas Nogueira tells Brett Pollakoff of NBCSports.com that he's flexible about the possibility of returning to Europe if the NBA team that drafts him thinks he needs more time overseas to develop.
Emiliano Carchia of Sportando passes along a report indicating that Janis Timma will be heading stateside to work out for several NBA teams in hopes of securing a spot in the draft. Like Saric, Timma has until June 17th to decide whether to remain in the draft or withdraw his name.

Draft Notes: McLemore, Saric, Nogueira

June 9th, 2013 at 8:24pm CST by Zachary Links

If today's reports are to be believed, then things aren't looking so great for Nerlens Noel. The Cavaliers, under pressure from owner Dan Gilbert to make the playoffs this year, could be leaning against drafting Noel since he will be sidelined for several months as he recovers from an ACL tear. On top of that, the Kentucky big man's injury could be worse than once thought with one observer saying that he could fall to the No. 6 pick or lower. Here's more draft news..

The Suns greatest needs are perimeter shooting and athleticism, which is why Ben McLemore would be the perfect pick for them at No. 5 in the opinion of the Arizona Republic's Paul Coro. However, he could very well be off the board by the time Phoenix picks. The Magic could be a fit at No. 2 as well as the Bobcats at No. 4.
Dario Saric's reported decision to withdraw from the draft has drawn the ire of some league scouts, writes Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. A scout of one team picking in the teens opined, “[Saric was] not as accessible as he needed to be during the draft process; information hasn't been forthcoming outside of one draft blog. We can't draft a guy like that without getting him in our gym and without a physical or interview."
Lucas “Bebe” Nogueira is looking more and more like a first round draft pick, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. The big man needs to add some size but he is modeling his game after Marcus Camby, who came into the league at 223 pounds in 1996.

Draft Updates: Saric, Cavs, McLemore, Workouts

June 7th, 2013 at 4:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Yesterday, ESPN.com's Chad Ford reported that Croatian forward Dario Saric was leaning toward withdrawing from this year's draft, a surprising stance given how much his stock has risen in recent weeks. Today, Michael McNamara of Bourbon Street Blues passes along an email he received from Saric's agent, Robert Jablan, which reads:

"We make decision this morning that we will withdraw Dario from the 2013 draft."

We have yet to hear officially that Saric has pulled his name out of this year's draft class, and it's possible something was lost in translation. But it certainly appears as if Saric is leaning in that direction. He still has 10 days to make a final decision, so while we wait for the official word on the potential lottery pick, let's check out a few more draft-related updates:

Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio reports that the Cavaliers are "seriously dissecting" the possibility of drafting Ben McLemore first overall, though he cautions that the team is far from decided on what it'll do with the pick (Twitter links). I'd be surprised if Cleveland eventually decided on McLemore — it sounds to me as if the team is just covering all its bases.
The latest Insider-only blog from Ford at ESPN.com is full of good info, including updates on Saric, Nerlens Noel, Trey Burke, and a handful of other prospects.
Anthony Bennett is unable to work out due to a rotator cuff injury, but he will meet with the Wizards next week, writes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.
Lorenzo Brown, Myck Kabongo, Allen Crabbe, Jeff Withey, and Mike Muscala will work out for the Knicks on Monday, according to the team's official PR Twitter feed.
The Suns' workout today included C.J. Leslie, Matthew Dellavedova, Ian Hummer, Korie Lucious, Rodney McGruder, and Phil Pressey, says Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter).
Michael Carter-Williams intends to visit the Magic soon for a meeting and workout, tweets Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
Larry Drew II, E.J. Singler, Ian Clark, Ed Daniel, Trevor Mbakwe and Glen Rice Jr. worked out for the Trail Blazers today, according to a tweet from Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, who also reports that Cody Zeller is having an individual workout with Portland today.