Getty Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors.
For the second time since free agency began, the Golden State Warriors have landed their man.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on Saturday, July 8, that the franchise signed forward Dario Saric to a short-term contract. Saric split last season between stints with the Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Free agent F Dario Saric has agreed on a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, sources tell ESPN. Saric was one of the most sought-after players left on the market.
“Free agent F Dario Saric has agreed on a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, sources tell ESPN,” Wojnarowski wrote on Twitter. “Saric was one of the most sought-after players left on the market.”
Dario Saric Brings Size, Shooting and Playoff Experience to Warriors’ Rotation
GettyGolden State Warriors signed former Phoenix Suns forward Dario Saric to a one-year contract on July 8, 2023.
Golden State has been after Saric since free agency began, per a report from Monte Poole of NBC Sports.
Per multiple sources: UFA Dario Sarić to Warriors is high probability – ‘likely’ according to one source
Why? 1) Stretch 4; 2) High hoops IQ w/sound all-around skills; 3) Age (29) fits team’s win-now approach that borders on desperation
“Per multiple sources: UFA Dario Saric to Warriors is high probability — ‘likely,’ according to one source,” Poole tweeted on June 30, the opening day of the league’s free agency period. “Why? 1) Strecth 4; 2) High hoops IQ [with] sound all-around skills; 3) Age (29) fits team’s win-now approach that borders on desperation.”
Saric is unlikely to start frequently for the Warriors, though he should be a consistent rotation player, having averaged 23.7 minutes per game over the course of his seven-year NBA career.
“At 6-foot-10, Saric gives the Warriors size and shooting off their bench,” Wojnarowski wrote Saturday. “Saric has fully recovered from an ACL injury that cost him the entire 2020-2021 season.”
When healthy and called upon, Saric has proven himself a quality playoff performer — an asset that is perhaps more important to Golden State in the waning years of their Big 3’s collective prime than any other Saric can offer.
“Saric has a playoff history to lean on with the Warriors, including an average of 17.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists with the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2018 playoffs,” Wojnarowski continued. “He averaged 10.5 minutes for the Suns in 14 playoffs games in 2021.”
Dario Saric Second Major Free Agent Signing of Warriors’ Summer
GettyFormer Phoenix Suns big man Dario Saric defends his old teammate, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, during an NBA game in 2021.
Saric will join Golden State’s other big-time signing of the summer, forward Draymond Green, in the front court next season.
Green in June opted out of the final year of his previous contract, which was set to pay him approximately $27.6 million in 2023-24. Green accepted a minor pay cut this upcoming season in exchange for a four-year extension worth $100 million total that includes a player option on the final year, during which the future Hall-of-Famer will turn 37.
The contract is Green’s second consecutive $100 million deal and will lock him into the Warriors’ roster through the presumed end of both his prime and the prime of former MVP teammate Steph Curry. Curry is under contract with the Dubs through the 2025-26 campaign on a four-year agreement worth $215 million start to finish.
Golden State also procured point guard Chris Paul from the Washington Wizards via a trade that sent Jordan Poole to the Eastern Conference. Clearing Poole’s salary cap number off the books for the next four seasons won’t offer the Dubs any financial relief in 2023-24, as Paul’s number is actually a couple million higher this season. While Paul could remain in Golden State for more than one year, his compensation can and will be cut drastically in 2024-25 if he chooses to stay.
All the moves collectively cleared a path for the Warriors to re-sign Green long-term this offseason and make a long-term offer to Klay Thompson next summer, albeit at a discount, to finish his career in the Bay Area, which is the expected outcome.