Dario Saric Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Bronny, Suns, Saric

July 30th, 2025 at 11:05pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Lakers guard Bronny James is adjusting to life ahead of his second pro season, as he tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN. James, who still deals with occasional health issues after suffering a cardiac arrest in the summer of 2023, is looking to improve his conditioning and develop his defense. After his second Summer League stint, the 6’2″ USC alum seems to feel a bit more secure in who he is and his own upside.

“My confidence level is, for sure, taking a leap,” James told McMenamin.

James’ head coach JJ Redick, a rookie in his own role in 2024/25, believes the 20-year-old can potentially crack the team’s rotation sooner rather than later — provided his fitness improves.

“The biggest thing for Bronny is that he has to get in elite shape,” Redick told McMenamin. “That’s the barrier of entry for him right now. And if he does that, I think he’s got a chance to be a really fantastic player in the NBA.”

Lakers athletic trainer Mike Mancias explained how James, son of All-Star L.A. teammate LeBron James, can continue to build on his conditioning.

“His conditioning is like a basketball 401(k),” Guthrie said. “It is all about daily deposits… That 401(k) will be great because he’s been putting in the work starting now, starting in the offseason, focusing on his diet, focusing on sleep, focusing on all those things. That’s all part of conditioning. It’s all tied together.”

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

Former Suns director of safety, security and risk management Gene Traylor has been fired by Phoenix after he sued the club for discrimination, harassment and retaliation, sources inform Baxter Holmes of ESPN. “Mr. Traylor was terminated from his position as a security manager because an independent, outside investigation concluded that he violated company policies with respect to confidential information about security operations and he was intentionally untruthful with the investigator,” Suns senior VP of communications Stacey Mitch said in a statement to Holmes.
New Kings center Dario Saric is determined to play meaningful minutes for Sacramento after riding pine with Denver for most of 2024/25, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. The 31-year-old spoke with gathered reporters after a practice with the Croatian national team, as the club gears up for the second round of the 2027 FIBA World Cup pre-qualifying matchups. “I went to Sacramento, passed medicals, talked to the coach and general manager,” Saric said. “I received positive feedback. I hope to get minutes at the four and five positions. But you never know for sure. I thought I was going to play in Denver too, but I ended up sitting on the bench.” Instead, the 6’10” vet appeared in just 16 games for the Nuggets.
In case you missed it, restricted free agent Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga remains frustrated by his stalemated contract talks with Golden State.

Latest On Jonathan Kuminga

July 30th, 2025 at 9:53am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings have been linked to restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga for weeks but there’s little common ground in sign-and-trade talks with the Warriors.

The Athletic’s Sam Amick said on the Warriors Plus Minus podcast (hat tip to BasketNews) that Golden State isn’t interested in either DeMar DeRozan or Devin Carter as part of a trade package.

“My understanding is the Warriors weren’t interested in Carter or DeRozan. As of a couple of weeks ago, the Kings weren’t willing to pay Kuminga into the $20 million range,” Amick said.

Multiple reports have indicated Kuminga and his agent are seeking a contract in the $30MM range annually.

The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson reports that the Kings have not given up in their pursuit of a sign-and-trade deal for Kuminga and offered Golden State a package of Carter, Dario Saric and draft compensation, which could include a protected first-round pick or multiple second-round picks.

Anderson speculates the Warriors would likely make a deal with Sacramento if the Kings were willing to add Keegan Murray or Keon Ellis to the mix. However, Anderson hears that Murray and Ellis have not been discussed in those negotiations and are considered off limits by the Kings.

ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported last week that the Warriors would like to add a talented young player and a first-rounder for Kuminga. The Suns have been identified as another suitor for Kuminga but don’t possess the draft capital Golden State is seeking.

Slater added in a radio interview relayed by Anderson that the 22-year-old forward came away with a good impression after a recent meeting with Kings representatives, which included general manager Scott Perry, assistant GM B.J. Armstrong and head coach Doug Christie.

“He’s open-minded to the idea of Sacramento. … I think part of that – I know part of that pitch – is you’re talking starting role, you’re talking bigger opportunity than the Warriors are necessarily offering right now. And I think that’s the part that shouldn’t get lost in this situation,” Slater said. “Jonathan Kuminga isn’t just looking for the exact contract he wants in free agency. He’s looking for the opportunity he wants on the court.”

Slater and ESPN’s Shams Charania report that the Warriors are making a stronger push to resolve the Kuminga impasse but he continues to reject their two-year, $45MM contract offer. Kuminga’s decision is due in large part to the Warriors’ insistence on having a team option for the second season and their unwillingness to let him maintain the built-in no-trade clause, the ESPN duo adds.

His agent, Aaron Turner, presented the Warriors several proposals this month, including a three-year deal worth around $82MM that would allow them to stay below the second tax apron.

The Suns have been the most aggressive team pursuing Kuminga, including a proposal of up to four years and approximately $90MM for Kuminga with a player option for the final season, per ESPN’s report.

In recent days, Golden State has begun signaling a plan to cut off sign-and-trade conversations entirely, according to Charania and Slater. The Warriors have the ability to play hard ball with Kuminga, figuring he could either accept their contract offer or sign his qualifying offer of $7.9MM and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Nuggets, Kings Officially Swap Jonas Valanciunas, Dario Saric

July 13th, 2025 at 4:21pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Nuggets‘ trade sending Dario Saric to the Kings in exchange for Jonas Valanciunas is now official, according to a press release from Denver.

The trade agreement between the two teams was first reported on July 1. At the time, it seemed like a fairly straightforward deal — Denver was adding a reliable backup center behind Nikola Jokic, while Sacramento was reducing its team salary by swapping out Valanciunas’ $10.4MM salary for Saric’s $5.4MM expiring contract, allowing the Kings to stay out of tax territory while completing other moves.

However, it became more complicated within the past 12 days, as word broke that Valanciunas had a three-year contract offer on the table from the Greek team Panathinaikos that he wanted to accept.

While there has been no indication that the mutual interest between Valanciunas and Panathinaikos has waned, the Nuggets have reportedly told the 33-year-old and his camp that they want the big man the honor his contract. According to reports, Denver had maintained interest in Valanciunas in recent years and views him as a critical addition to its roster.

In order to sign with Panathinaikos, Valanciunas would have to negotiate a buyout with the Nuggets and get a FIBA letter of clearance — as long as he’s on an NBA contract, he can’t unilaterally decide to play in another league, without Denver’s cooperation. Now that the trade is official, he and the Nuggets can formally sit down and discuss next steps, but it sounds for now as if the plan is to have him in camp in Denver in the fall.

Valanciunas landed with the Wizards via sign-and-trade last summer, then was traded to the Kings in February. The durable center made 81 total appearances last season in Washington and Sacramento, averaging 10.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 18.8 minutes per contest.

Saric, meanwhile, couldn’t carve out a rotation role in Denver after signing with the team as a free agent in 2024. He made just 16 appearances, averaging 3.5 points and 3.1 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per night. It’s unclear whether the Kings intend to keep him on their roster entering next season — a return to Europe could be in the cards for the 6’10” forward/center if he reaches free agency.

Luke Adams contributed to this story.

Northwest Notes: Valanciunas, Nuggets, Thunder, J. Gentry

July 12th, 2025 at 8:21am CST by Rory Maher

The agreed-upon trade between the Nuggets and Kings that will send Jonas Valanciunas to Denver and Dario Saric to Sacramento will likely be completed this weekend, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter links).

According to Stein, the delay was due to the Nuggets needing additional time to finalize “all aspects” of their Michael Porter Jr./Cameron Johnson trade with the Nets. Both of those players have extensive injury histories, so that may have played a factor, though Stein didn’t explicitly say that.

Denver had to formally complete the Porter/Johnson deal before it could acquire Valanciunas due to the way the trades were structured.

Here’s more from around the Northwest Division:

Head coach David Adelman believes Valanciunas can be the offensive hub of the Nuggets‘ second unit, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post relays. “Point center. You can play combo guards. You don’t need a lead point guard (in lineups with Valanciunas),” Adelman said on ESPN’s Summer League broadcast. “You can play five-out offense, play off the elbow, post him up. He’s such a skilled player. … He shoots the ball better than most people realize. So that’s how I envision him. I think you have multiple combination guards. You can get away with that with a guy like that.”
The Thunder have signed (or are signing) their top three players — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren — to maximum-salary extensions this summer. Sam Quinn of CBS Sports explains why Oklahoma City is uniquely well positioned to manage the punitive aspects of having an expensive payroll in the future, noting that the defending champions may not operate over the second tax apron until the 2027/28 season.
The Timberwolves are hiring Jack Gentry — a former Lakers coaching associate — to be their new head video coordinator, sources tell Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). Jack is the son of longtime NBA coach Alvin Gentry, who is currently a member of Sacramento’s front office.

Nuggets Will Complete Valanciunas Trade, Want To Keep Him On Roster

July 6th, 2025 at 3:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

July 6: The Nuggets have informed Valanciunas’ representatives that they “fully intend” to have him honor his NBA contract and view him as a critical addition to their roster, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

July 5: The Nuggets will complete their trade with the Kings for Jonas Valanciunas when the NBA lifts its moratorium on Sunday, league sources tell Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).

Valanciunas has received an offer to join Panathinaikos in Greece, but Stein hears that Denver remains determined to have him honor his NBA contract and serve as Nikola Jokic‘s backup next season.

Valanciunas has two years left on his current deal, with a $10.4MM guaranteed salary for 2025/26 and a $10MM non-guaranteed salary in 2026/27. Regardless of his mutual interest with Panathinaikos, he can’t get FIBA clearance to sign elsewhere unless the Nuggets release him from that contract.

A report on Friday stated that the 33-year-old center had arrived in Athens and was preparing to undergo a physical and finalize a three-year deal worth 12 million Euros with the Greek team. Valanciunas didn’t speak with reporters at the airport and hasn’t commented on the situation since the trade to Denver was announced.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype recently reported that the Nuggets have been trying to acquire Valanciunas for a couple of years to provide a sturdy veteran backup for Jokic. That was an area of need throughout last season and the playoffs, and they created room to take on Valanciunas’ salary by agreeing to send Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn in a deal for Cameron Johnson.

Sacramento will receive veteran big man Dario Saric in return for Valanciunas. Saric turned in a disappointing season after signing with Denver last summer, but he has been a productive reserve with several teams for the past few seasons.

Cap Observations: KD Trade, Valanciunas, Kings, H. Gonzalez

July 4th, 2025 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

As we catch our breath on the Fourth of July and await updates on the top remaining free agents - including an intriguing group of restricted free agents and veteran unrestricted free agents like Al Horford, Chris Paul, and Russell Westbrook - we're taking a look back at a few of the intriguing stories from the past few days.

In the space below, we're exploring what the seven-team Kevin Durant figures to look like, why the Nuggets and Kings are still moving forward with their Jonas Valanciunas/Dario Saric swap amid rumors about Valanciunas wanting to play in Greece, what the rumors about Sacramento's interest in Jonathan Kuminga suggest, and more.

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Wizards Among Teams Eyeing Jonathan Kuminga

July 3rd, 2025 at 11:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards are the latest potential suitor to emerge in the Jonathan Kuminga sweepstakes, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who reports that Washington has entered the picture within the last 24 hours. The idea of the 22-year-old forward fitting into the Wizards’ rebuild has “gained real momentum,” sources tell Slater.

In addition to Washington, the Kings, Heat, Bulls, Bucks, and Nets have all expressed “varying levels” of interest in the Warriors‘ restricted free agent, Slater writes.

Confirming prior reporting out of Sacramento, Slater says the Kings floated an offer that would include 2024 first-round pick Devin Carter, veteran forward Dario Saric, and a pair of second-round picks. However, Golden State views that as a “buy-low” attempt, per Slater, who suggests the Pacific rivals haven’t gained any real traction.

Both the Warriors and Kuminga appear willing to be patient in the hopes of getting what they want out of the process, Slater explains. From the team’s perspective, that would mean acquiring a promising young player and a first-round pick in any sign-and-trade scenario. For Kuminga, the goal is ending up in a situation where he feels he has the full support of an organization and its coaching staff and can be a featured part of a team’s core.

If there’s no resolution by the time the Las Vegas Summer League tips off next week, the tentative plan is for Kuminga’s camp to have in-person meetings with interested teams in Vegas, Slater notes.

One of those meetings could involved the Warriors. As Slater details, the idea of the former No. 7 overall pick working out a deal to remain in Golden State isn’t off the table, so there has been talk of Kuminga, agent Aaron Turner, head coach Steve Kerr, and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. sitting down together in Vegas to discuss what a reunion might look like.

Kuminga appeared in just 47 games in 2024/25, having missed more than two months due to a badly sprained ankle. He had an inconsistent role when healthy, averaging 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 24.3 minutes per game, with a .454/.305/.668 shooting line.

Although he was out of the Warriors’ rotation entirely for some key games at the end of the regular season and in the postseason, Kuminga averaged 24.3 points per game on .554/.389/.720 shooting in his final four playoff games vs. Minnesota after Stephen Curry injured his hamstring, providing a reminder of his offensive upside ahead of his restricted free agency.

Kings Rumors: Sabonis, Schröder, Kuminga, Monk

July 3rd, 2025 at 7:51am CST by Luke Adams

While a number of Kings rotation starter- or rotation-level veterans, including Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine, are viewed as potential trade candidates, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (YouTube link), center Domantas Sabonis remains unlikely to be moved.

When Sabonis spoke after the season about wanting to meet with the new lead basketball operations executives – including general manager Scott Perry – to discuss the future, there was speculation about the possibility that he might ask for a trade, but there has been no indication that will happen this summer, Sam Amick of The Athletic confirmed during an appearance on The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross (YouTube link).

“So far, he’s been signaling patience and had good conversations with the new front office,” Amick said of Sabonis. “The (Dennis) Schröder move to me is an interesting one in the context of Domas, because for the short term, I could see Domas saying, ‘Listen, I just want to feel like I have a chance every night, and now you’ve got me a point guard.’

“They’ve still got to figure out the fact that you have so many guys who like to score the ball, and Domas wants to get back to the higher usage that he had a couple years ago. So it’s still not even close to perfect, but it’s enough that nobody’s causing a ruckus and they’re just trying to wait and see what the roster looks like in the next couple months.”

We have more on the Kings:

Echoing reporting from Tuesday night about the Kings’ sign-and-trade talks for Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, Ali Thanawalla and Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area say Sacramento has talked about sending out Devin Carter, Dario Saric, and two second-round picks in a package for Kuminga. However, Amick hears that the Kings have made “zero progress” toward finalizing a deal (Twitter link). That makes sense, considering that would be a pretty light return for a Golden State team believed to be seeking at least one reliable rotation player in any Kuminga sign-and-trade.
The idea that the Kings, Warriors, and Pistons are seriously discussing a three-team trade that would see both Kuminga and Schröder signed-and-traded to Sacramento is “totally false,” a source tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Although the Kings have interest in Kuminga, those talks are unrelated to their deal for Schröder, according to Anderson.
According to Thanawalla and Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area, the Kings are considered more likely than not to part ways with Monk this offseason and haven’t closed the door on sending him to Detroit in the Schröder sign-and-trade. However, reports of Monk’s potential inclusion seem to be coming entirely from Sacramento-based outlets rather than the Detroit side, so it sounds like the Kings have more interest in including Monk in that deal than the Pistons do.

Free Agent Rumors: Kuminga, CP3, Horford, Westbrook, Lillard

July 2nd, 2025 at 11:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings are “very engaged” on Warriors restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga, according to Matt George of ABC 10 in Sacramento (Twitter links).

While the Kings have seemingly been extremely willing to discuss Malik Monk in trade scenarios, Monk likely wouldn’t be involved in any deal for Kuminga, says George, noting that Golden State doesn’t appear to have much interest in the veteran guard.

George has heard that the Kings have explored sending out guard Devin Carter, forward Dario Saric, and draft compensation as part of a deal to acquire Kuminga via sign-and-trade (Twitter link). If a deal along those lines came to fruition, it would likely be combined with Sacramento’s Saric/Jonas Valanciunas swap with Denver in order to maximize the Kings’ outgoing salary, which would allow them to give Kuminga a more lucrative deal.

However, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link), there’s no agreement imminent at this point. Conversations on the Kuminga front with the Warriors and “several” teams are ongoing, Slater adds.

Here are a few more items of interest on some of the top free agents still on the board:

After starting all 82 games for San Antonio this past season, veteran point guard Chris Paul is hoping to be a starter again in 2025/26, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), which is one reason why he’s still weighing his options in free agency. Reynolds says the Clippers are hoping Paul will join them, while Ramona Shelburne of ESPN (Twitter video link) views the Suns as his most likely landing spot. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) believes Paul would like to return to Phoenix, but thinks there would be a very limited role for him with the Suns, so he considered a reunion unlikely.
The Warriors have been “very aggressive” in trying to recruit Al Horford to Golden State, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Twitter video link). Windhorst believes Horford could end up in the West Coast if he continues his career, noting that the Lakers are among the other teams pursuing him. Windhorst’s report came before the Lakers reached an agreement with Deandre Ayton, but Los Angeles could still use frontcourt depth and still has its $5.1MM bi-annual exception available.
Russell Westbrook, an L.A. native, would like to “be closer to home,” according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter video link). Multiple reports this week have linked Westbrook to the Kings, but it sounds like that would only become a viable option if Sacramento ends up trading Monk.
In ranking what he believes are the top five best landing spots for Damian Lillard once he becomes a free agent, Spears places the Timberwolves atop his list (Twitter video link). Mike Conley is still penciled in as Minnesota’s starting point guard, but he’ll be 38 in October and struggled in the postseason, and the Wolves don’t have much reliable depth at the position behind him. Lillard could be a perfect fit, though he’ll miss most or all of the 2025/26 season while recovering from his Achilles tear.
In addition to previously reported suitors like Milwaukee and Indiana, the Knicks, Clippers, Cavaliers, and Nuggets also expressed some level of interest in Ayton before he agreed to join the Lakers, Shams Charania of ESPN said on SportsCenter (Twitter video link). Charania added that several suitors reached out to Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin to ask about Ayton and got “rave reviews of him as a teammate.”

Kings Trading Valanciunas To Nuggets For Saric

July 1st, 2025 at 11:02am CST by Rory Maher

The Kings have agreed to trade center Jonas Valanciunas to the Nuggets in exchange for forward/center Dario Saric, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Valanciunas will earn about $10.4MM in 2025/26, with a non-guaranteed $10MM salary for ’26/27. Saric is entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him approximately $5.4MM next season.

The Nuggets are able to take on Valanciunas’ higher salary due to the newfound roster-building flexibility they created as a result of the agreed upon trade that will send Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round pick to Brooklyn for Cameron Johnson.

Valanciunas spent his first six-plus NBA seasons with Toronto, the team that selected him No. 5 overall in the 2011 draft. He also played for Memphis and New Orleans prior to becoming a free agent last year.

The 33-year-old landed with the Wizards via sign-and-trade last summer, then was traded to Sacramento in February. The durable big man made 81 combined appearances last season, averaging 10.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 18.8 minutes per contest.

While he’s a very limited defensive player, Valanciunas is a bruising low-post scorer and rebounder with a soft touch and should be a productive backup for three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

As for the Kings, they were likely motivated to make the deal for financial reasons. As Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron tweets, Sacramento will save about $5MM in the trade, which will give the team the flexibility to complete its reported deal with veteran guard Dennis Schröder without going into the tax.

Saric signed a two-year, $10.6MM deal with Denver last summer, but it didn’t work out the way either party had hoped. The 31-year-old only played in 16 games last season, averaging 3.5 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 13.1 MPG.