Dario Saric Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Suns, Cavs, Pelicans Among Potential Eric Gordon Suitors?

February 2nd, 2022 at 7:26am CST by Luke Adams

Although a January report stated that the Rockets are leaning toward keeping Eric Gordon through the trade deadline rather than moving him in the next eight days, the veteran guard’s name continues to pop up in trade rumors.

The Suns, who are believed to be seeking an upgrade on the wing, have been mentioned by league personnel as a possible suitor for Gordon, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who notes that Phoenix continues to shop injured forward Dario Saric.

Gordon has played in the past with Suns point guard Chris Paul and his ability to stretch the floor and make three-pointers would appeal to a Phoenix team that currently ranks 22nd in the NBA with 11.6 threes made per game.

The Cavaliers have placed calls on Gordon and Pacers swingman Caris LeVert, says Fischer, but the asking prices on those players have been higher than Cleveland is comfortable paying at the moment.

According to Fischer, Cleveland is hoping to acquire a player like Gordon or LeVert using Ricky Rubio‘s expiring contract and a pair of second-round picks, but Houston believes it can get a first-round selection for Gordon and Indiana is seeking at least one first-rounder, if not more, for LeVert.

Gordon is also drawing interest from the Pelicans, according to both Fischer and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Fischer suggests New Orleans has been “repeatedly linked” to the Rockets guard in conversations he has had with league sources, though the Pels are believed to have their eye on a handful of other wings too.

Any team interested in acquiring Gordon will have to be able to take on his $18.2MM salary for 2021/22. He’s also owed a guaranteed $19.6MM salary in 2022/23 and is on the books for $20.9MM in 2023/24, though that figure is non-guaranteed.

That ’23/24 cap hit can become fully guaranteed if Gordon’s team wins a championship in either of the next two seasons and he plays at least 500 minutes, which is a factor that a serious contender like the Suns would have to consider if they pursue the 33-year-old.

Suns Notes: Bass, Booker, Saric, Payne, Shamet

January 15th, 2022 at 10:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The second 10-day contract that Paris Bass signed with the Suns this week will give him an opportunity to play in front of his hometown fans Sunday in Detroit, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Bass, who played his college ball at Detroit Mercy, is concerned with finding enough tickets to make sure his family gets to see him live out his NBA dream.

“Man,” Bass said. “To come from where I was last year to be to this point right here. I was in Puerto Rico last year, Dominican Republic. Now to be here, the biggest stage in the world. Playing at home in front of my family, man, like, I don’t know what I’m going to do in that moment until I get there, honestly.”

The 26-year-old Bass has played in a long list of overseas locales since going undrafted in 2017, along with a couple of stints in the G League. He started this season with the South Bay Lakers and may never have gotten an NBA opportunity if not for the hardship exemption that was instituted in response to COVID-19 outbreaks.

“I do think it’s pretty cool to see these guys get a chance to play in the league,” coach Monty Williams said. “In a normal economy, they probably wouldn’t. So I’m excited and pleased to see people get an opportunity.”

There’s more on the Suns:

Devin Booker enjoys social media, but he’s uncomfortable when fans put him on the same level as Kobe Bryant, Rankin states in a separate piece. “The only problem I have is people still comparing me to Kobe Bryant when I told them in the playoffs stop bringing up Mamba mentality,” Booker said. “I’m inspired by Kobe Bryant and Mamba mentality, but I am not Kobe Bryant.”
Phoenix is looking for someone willing to trade for Dario Saric, who may miss the entire season because of a torn ACL, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said on the latest edition of the Solar Panel podcast. The power forward is making $8.51MM this season and has another $9.24MM guaranteed for 2022/23.
The Suns could be in the market for backcourt help before the trade deadline, as Kellan Olson of Arizona Sports 98.7 notes that Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet are having disappointing seasons. Olson adds that both players haven’t been able to adjust to regular roles because of shifting lineups created by COVID-19.

Suns Eyeing Thaddeus Young

August 30th, 2021 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns are among the contending teams that have pursued veteran forward Thaddeus Young, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Young, who will earn $14.19MM in a contract year in 2021/22, was sent from the Bulls from the Spurs in the sign-and-trade deal that landed DeMar DeRozan in Chicago.

Young is coming off a productive season, having averaged 12.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 4.3 APG with a career-best .559 FG% in 68 games (24.3 MPG) for the Bulls in 2020/21. And his expiring contract at a reasonable rate makes the 33-year-old a relatively safe investment.

However, it’s unclear whether he’s in the Spurs’ plans or if the team simply acquired him as part of the DeRozan return for salary-matching purposes and would happily flip him. Charania suggests that San Antonio is expected to receive “strong interest” in Young from playoff teams.

Phoenix could use some extra depth at the power forward spot since Dario Saric is expected to miss most or all of the 2021/22 campaign while recovering from a torn ACL. Any offer the Suns make for Young would likely start with Saric (who is earning $8.51MM) for salary-matching purposes and would have to include another asset or two.

The Suns would have to add a little more salary to Saric’s $8.51MM to sufficiently match Young’s cap hit, and many of their lesser-paid players aren’t yet trade-eligible since they were recently signed. As such, second-year center Jalen Smith looks like a potential candidate to be included in any offer for Young, though that’s just my speculation.

Dario Saric Suffers Torn ACL

July 7th, 2021 at 1:37pm CST by JD Shaw

Suns power forward Dario Saric has suffered a torn ACL in his right knee, the team announced (via Twitter). Saric sustained the injury in the first quarter of Game 1.

It’s a tough blow for Saric, who won’t return this season and whose 2021/22 season is now in jeopardy as well, given the typical recovery timeline for an ACL tear. The 27-year-old remains under contract with the Suns for two more years.

Saric has served as a key cog off Phoenix’s bench, averaging 8.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game this season. Suns forward/center Frank Kaminsky will likely see more playing time in his absence the rest of this series.

Despite losing Saric, Phoenix managed to take a 1-0 lead at home by defeating Milwaukee 118-105. The team was led by Chris Paul, who finished with 32 points, nine assists and a plus-17 net rating on the night.

The Suns will host the Bucks in Game 2 on Thursday before traveling to Milwaukee for Game 3 on Sunday.

NBA Finals Notes: Giannis, Saric, Paul, MVP

July 7th, 2021 at 9:23am CST by Luke Adams

When Giannis Antetokounmpo hyperextended his knee during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bucks star initially thought his season was over — and that the start of his next season may be in jeopardy too.

“I thought I would be out for a year,” Antetokounmpo said, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Giannis added that until the results of his MRI came back, he was convinced his absence would be a lengthy one.

“I couldn’t walk, and my knee was like double the size,” Antetokounmpo said. “Usually I never swell up. But you know, I woke up the next day, did whatever it’s called, MRI or X-ray — I don’t know what it’s called — and they said I’m good. And I was like, ‘Thank God.'”

Antetokounmpo, who was originally listed as doubtful for Game 1, was upgraded to questionable on Tuesday afternoon and was cleared after going through pregame warmups without any issues. He didn’t look too bothered by the knee on Tuesday night, racking up 20 points and 17 rebounds, but said he hopes to feel even better for Game 2, as Bontemps relays.

Here are a few more notes related to the NBA Finals, which the Suns lead 1-0:

Despite the fact that the Bucks lost Game 1, Antetokounmpo’s return offers the team hope for the rest of the series, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
Suns forward Dario Saric suffered a right knee injury the first quarter on Tuesday night and didn’t return. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN details, there was no official update on Saric’s condition after the game, so his status going forward is unclear.
Chris Paul, who is playing in his first Finals in his 16th NBA season, joked on Tuesday that he hasn’t gotten used to not being able to watch other basketball games on days the Suns aren’t playing. “I was watching them soccer games,” Paul said, according to McMenamin. “I watched a hockey game last night.”
Paul looks like the early favorite to become this year’s Finals MVP, racking up a game-high 32 points and nine assists on 12-of-19 shooting on Tuesday. Check out our poll from last night to make your prediction for Finals MVP.

Suns Notes: Galloway, Crowder, Saric, Craig

July 6th, 2021 at 5:06pm CST by Eli Cohen

With Game 1 of the NBA Finals set to tip off in a matter of hours, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington examines Suns guard Langston Galloway‘s path from going undrafted in 2014 to being four wins away from an NBA championship.

“Oftentimes when I’m in the locker room, I’m the only undrafted guy in the locker room,” Galloway said. “I look at it like this, it’s like if I can beat out the next guy to me, I can worry about myself going forward and the opportunity I’ve provided in front of me.”

Galloway discussed the ever-vigilant edge that being an undrafted player causes you to play with: “You have to always be paranoid. It’s knowing that I can’t rest on my laurels, I can’t rest on my career. I have to always get better knowing that the next opportunity is my best opportunity.”

Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News also takes a look at Galloway’s impending free agency, as well as his potential fit with the first team that gave him a shot, the Knicks.

We have more news from the Suns:

Jay King of The Athletic has a piece on Jae Crowder and why every team in the league, especially the Celtics, need a guy like him. “I’m not saying Boston don’t have toughness,” Crowder’s father said on a podcast with former player Etan Thomas, “but they could have used a Jae Crowder. Miami got to the Finals last year. Jae Crowder’s gone, now where they at?” Celtics president Brad Stevens seems to agree: “Everywhere Jae Crowder goes, they win, which is great credit to him,” Stevens said.
Between injuries, a positive COVID test, and inconsistent minutes, it wasn’t the easiest year for forward Dario Saric, tweets Suns reporter Gina Mizell. “But to be, right now, here, with my teammates, it’s a dream come true, you know what I mean,” Saric said.
In a video from The Arizona Republic, Torrey Craig speaks on the experience of going up against his former team in the Finals: “… To compete against guys you played with, not only just compete against them but with the NBA Finals competing against them, that definitely sets the bar for whatever narrative you want to set for it,” Craig said, a smile on his face. “I’m definitely excited.”

Pacific Notes: Kuzma, Walton, Saric, Durant

February 13th, 2021 at 2:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma signed a three-year, $40MM rookie scale extension in December. All other players who signed similar extensions before the season got bigger contracts but Kuzma has no regrets, according to Bill Oram of The Athletic.

“Of course, guys got paid,” the Lakers forward said, “and obviously as a competitor of who you are as a player, you always look at things like that. But at the end of the day, I love the situation that I’m in. … I know a lot of guys that are making $20, $23, $24 million and they’re not really that happy because they go to work every day, you may not be winning, you have to deal with certain other things. For me, I’m happy.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Kings coach Luke Walton doesn’t mind taking heat if it takes pressure off his players, Jason Jones of The Athletic writes. “When we’re behind closed doors and we’re in film sessions and we’re in practices and we’re in team meetings we’re going to be honest and brutal about where we need to get better at, who’s messing up, how do we fix it and we’re going to drill it, drill it, drill it,” Walton said. “But to me, that type of information doesn’t need to be given out in a way that’s going to make any of our players feel bad about themselves,” he said. “That’s not part of the culture we want to build here. … So I’ll take the hits all day long as long as we’re getting the type of work and effort from the players that we need.”
Suns forward Dario Saric confirmed that he tested positive for COVID-19 last month, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. Saric hasn’t played since January 11 and his return was further delayed by an ankle sprain, Gina Mizell tweets. He took a bad step during sprints after recovering from the virus but he was active against Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon.
Kevin Durant faces the Warriors on Saturday, the first time he’ll play against his former team in Golden State since signing with the Nets. ESPN’s Nick Friedell takes a look back at what caused the breakup between Durant and the Dubs.

Pacific Notes: Kawhi/PG-13, CP3, Green, Saric

January 28th, 2021 at 9:15pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue has noted that his stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, absent thus far from the club’s six-game road trip due to coronavirus protocols, are “feeling well,” but he would not elaborate on when he expected them to return to the team, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

“Mentally, they’re in a great place,” Clippers reserve point guard Reggie Jackson said of the two unavailable wings. “They are doing all they can to get back as soon as possible.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Suns All-Star point guard Chris Paul has verbalized his frustration with his club following Phoenix’s third straight loss, according to Royce Young of ESPN. “I’m not going to say we’re not good enough, but we’re not playing well enough right now,” Paul said following a 102-97 home loss to the Thunder.
After being traded from the Lakers this offseason, Sixers small forward Danny Green holds no ill will toward Los Angeles, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. In fact, Green stays in touch with his old teammates. “I still call them brothers,” Green said. “We still have a bond forever, because of what we achieved together and the time we spent in the bubble.”
The Suns are hopeful that forward Dario Saric, who has been conditioning for several days after being absent due to the league’s coronavirus protocols, can return for the team’s game against the Mavericks this Saturday, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM tweets. In seven games this season, Saric is averaging 10.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.0 APG. He is connecting on 35.7% of his 4.0 three-point attempts per game.

Suns Notes: Galloway, Carter, Saric, Crowder

December 7th, 2020 at 9:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Langston Galloway wanted to join a playoff contender, which is one of the big reasons he chose the Suns in free agency, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic.

“The reason why I picked Phoenix, it’s a young, up-and-coming team that’s really on the move and can really help me going forward,” he said. “I really want to experience the playoffs and try to win a championship and I think this is the right organization to be with.”

Galloway, who averaged 10.3 PPG with the Pistons last season, signed a veteran’s minimum contract.

Detroit coach Dwane Casey was sad to see Galloway depart. “Langston is a leader, he sets the tone in practice, he’s a shooter and he’s a competitor,” he said. “He’s a quiet competitor.”

We have more on the Suns:

Phoenix gave restricted free agent Jevon Carter a three-year, $11.5MM deal to stay put and that made him feel like a valued member of the team, as he described to Rankin in a separate story. “I felt like I was wanted here,” Carter said. “Even when I went through those stretches when I wasn’t playing, it never felt like they didn’t want me here.” A 6’1” guard, Carter appeared in 58 games last season, averaging 4.9 PPG in 16.3 MPG.
Another restricted free agent that the Suns retained, forward Dario Saric, admitted to Rankin (Twitter link) that he was filled with uncertainty when free agency began. “I was like waking up saying, ‘Did anybody text me? Did my agent have anything to say to me?’ It was a couple of nervous days for me,” he said. “Everything ended up the right way for me.” Saric signed a three-year, $27MM contract.
Head coach Monty Williams wouldn’t elaborate on Jae Crowder‘s status during the first day of full practice Monday, Rankin reports. “I can’t comment on Jae’s situation,” Williams said. “I’m just going to leave it at that.” Crowder was a big “get” for Phoenix in free agency, as he left the Heat and signed a three-year, $30MM contract.
In case you missed it, B.J. Johnson was expected to join the Suns in training camp but he instead signed with the Heat.

Suns Re-Sign Dario Saric To Three-Year Deal

November 23rd, 2020 at 9:30am CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 29: Saric’s agreement with the Suns is now official, the team announced in a press release.

NOVEMBER 23: The Suns and restricted free agent Dario Saric have agreed to a new deal, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Agents Jeff Schwartz and Mike Lindeman tell Wojnarowski that their client will sign a three-year, $27MM contract.

Saric averaged 10.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 1.9 APG in 66 games (24.7 MPG) for the Suns in 2019/20, with a shooting line of .476/.357/.844. The 26-year-old, who was the 24th-ranked player on our list of this fall’s top free agents, will resume his role as a stretch four in Phoenix for the coming season.

While Frank Kaminsky and Aron Baynes are no longer in the picture for the Suns, the team did reach an agreement to sign Jae Crowder, who figures to see some time at the four as well as the three.

In addition to bringing back Saric and landing Crowder, the Suns also traded for Chris Paul, agreed to re-sign Jevon Carter, struck a deal with E’Twaun Moore, and selected Jalen Smith with the No. 10 pick in the draft. The Suns are looking to build on their 8-0 performance during the NBA’s summer restart and return to the playoffs in 2021.

With Saric off the board, Brandon Ingram and Bogdan Bogdanovic are the only non-two-way restricted free agents whose contract situations have yet to be resolved. Ingram is expected to re-sign with the Pelicans, while Bogdanovic is waiting to see if the Kings will match the offer sheet he signed with Atlanta.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.