‘High Probability’ Warriors Sign Sharpshooting Big, Former Lottery Pick: Report

Getty Dario Saric handles the ball during a game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Phoenix Suns.

In the hours before the NBA‘s free-agent frenzy officially began, the Golden State Warriors were reported to be zeroing in on their first outside commitment. And it looks to be coming in the form of the sharpshooting 4/5 the team lacked last season.

According to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole, there’s a “high probability” that the team and seven-year pro Dario Saric will have a deal in place early in the free agency period, with the reporter’s sources indicating that the signing was “likely.”

Saric — who finished the 2022-23 campaign as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder — was part of the Philadelphia 76ers‘ Process-era rebuild, having been selected with the 12th overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft and then acquired in a draft-night trade.

And while the star turn never quite came for the Croatian, he did develop into a solid big and a player who would check multiple boxes for Golden State. As Poole sees it, Saric’s perimeter chops, high basketball IQ (and skills) and his age as a 29-year-old make him an ideal pickup for the win-now Warriors.

Golden State saw firsthand what Saric was capable of during a March 7 loss to OKC, as he scored 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting and added five rebounds and a steal off the bench.

Is Dario Saric the New Nemanja Bjelica for the Warriors?

Despite his lottery pedigree, Saric probably isn’t a player who will come in and rock the boat at this juncture. He’s a value signing; a low-risk, medium-reward pickup who can fill a frontcourt role off the bench (or serve as a spot starter, when the need arises).

Think Otto Porter Jr. or — perhaps more accurately — Nemanja Bjelica, who was a solid contributor as part of the Dubs’ 2022 championship squad.

Like the similarly-proportioned “Belly” did before him, Saric should be able to provide 12-18 minutes nightly of all the things Poole described while giving the team some additional size/length at 6-foot-10 with a matching wingspan.

Splitting his time between OKC and the Phoenix Suns last season, Saric averaged 6.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 14.1 minutes nightly. He also shot 45.8% from the field, 39.1% from three-point range and finished the year with the Thunder’s best net rating (at 11.0).

While still playing for Philly during the 2017-18 campaign, Saric logged a gaudy 15-7-3 line.

Warriors Eyeing Shake Milton?

Saric isn’t the only external free agent to have been linked to the Warriors. According to a report from Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Fischer, another player with Sixers ties could’ve in new GM Mike Dunleavy Jr.’s crosshairs:

Former Sixers guard Shake Milton has drawn the eye of several Western Conference contenders, including the Lakers and Warriors, according to league personnel.

The 26-year-old Milton appeared in 76 games for Philly last season, putting up 8.4 points, 3.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per contest. He also connected on 47.9% of his shot attempts overall and 37.8% of his tries from three-point range. He’s also just two years removed from being a 13.0 PPG scorer.

It’s not hard to envision him replacing Jordan Poole as the Warriors’ microwave scorer (or the lite version of that, at least).

Fischer further noted that Saric had generated “strong interest” from the Warriors.