Getty Dario Saric and Chris Paul battle for possession of the ball during a game between the Oklahoma City and the Phoenix Suns.
They had to wait a hot minute for it to finally go down, but the Golden State Warriors appear to have locked in a signing that was first mused about as free agency opened back on June 30.
As confirmed by agents Jeff Schwartz and Mike Lindeman to ESPN on Saturday, Dario Saric has agreed to a one-year deal with the Dubs.
The 29-year-old — who first entered the NBA as a lottery pick of the Process-era Philadelphia 76ers — will presumably assume a bench role not unlike the one that was formerly filled by the likes of Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica; key players from the Warriors’ 2022 championship squad.
Given the team’s bench struggles throughout the 2022-23 campaign, the idea of having a multi-faceted big like Saric performing such an important function for Golden State’s second unit is one fans can easily get behind. They’re not the only ones with reason to dig the signing, though.
Chris Paul, the Warriors’ new floor general, has been raving about the move, too, according to one insider.
The Athletic: CP3 Digging Warriors Move to Acquire Dario Saric
Before getting dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder in February, Saric had spent parts of four seasons with the Phoenix Suns (although he lost all of 2021-22 to an ACL injury). Along the way, he and CP3 helped the Suns get to the 2021 NBA Finals.
Per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Paul is over the moon at the prospect of reconnecting with his former pick-and-roll partner.
“I’m told Paul was a vocal fan of the Warriors adding Saric in recent days,” Slater wrote. “The duo is comfortable with each other and should form the backbone of the Warriors’ new older and more methodical second unit.”
In Paul and Saric’s 390 shared minutes during the eruption that was Phoenix’s ’20-21 season, the Suns outscored opponents by 10.2 points per 100 possessions. Meanwhile, CP3 assisted on 41 of the former No. 12 overall pick’s buckets that year.
Warts & All, Saric Could Be Serious Weapon for the Warriors
Saric’s road back from his ACL injury has been a long and winding one. However, he showed that he had at least turned a corner during the back third of ’22-23 in OKC. Over 20 appearances with the Thunder, he averaged 7.4 points in 13.7 minutes per contest while shooting 51.5% from the floor and 39.1% from deep.
He has some deficiencies, to be sure, but for a Warriors bench that lacked pop and cohesiveness offensively at times last season, Saric has a whole lot to offer.
Appraised Slater:
There are flaws to Saric’s game, even if it is a surprise he fell into the minimum market. His rebounding numbers have faded a bit the last few years. He isn’t a traditional big and shouldn’t be relied upon to defend the better scoring centers in the post and isn’t laterally quick enough to switch onto quicker wings and guards on the perimeter. But Porter and Bjelica had the same limitations and still worked well within the team scheme because of their intelligence and effort. Saric has and gives both.