Dario Saric Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nuggets Notes: Westbrook, Clippers, Jokic, Malone, Fouls

October 27th, 2024 at 1:47pm CST by Rory Maher

Russell Westbrook‘s debut with the Nuggets — a 15-point home loss to the Thunder on Thursday — wasn’t ideal. The former league MVP recorded six points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal and two blocks in 21 minutes, but he shot just 2-of-10 from the floor (1-of-6 from three-point range) and 1-of-4 from the foul line, and Denver was outscored by 24 points when he was on the court.

As Law Murray of The Athletic writes, Saturday’s five-point home loss to the Clippers was a reminder of why L.A. wanted to move on from Westbrook over the offseason. Although he made some impressive defensive plays, including two steals and one block, he went 0-of-8 from the floor, only scoring two points on a pair of free throws, with one rebound and two assists. The Nuggets were minus-13 in his 19 minutes.

Kris Dunn, whom the Clips acquired for Westbrook in a sign-and-trade with Utah (Westbrook was subsequently waived by the Jazz; that’s how he signed with the Nuggets), finished with 11 points (on 4-of-6 shooting) and six rebounds in 19 minutes. Denver’s bench unit — Westbrook, Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson and Dario Saric only scored 11 points (on 3-of-18 shooting) and had five rebounds in 58 combined minutes.

That’s not to say the Clippers didn’t appreciate Westbrook’s time with the team. According to Murray, the nine-time All-Star is “beloved by many” members of the organization, and he had some great games in the 2023 postseason. But after trading for James Harden last fall, Westbrook’s on-court fit became awkward at times, and he struggled mightily in the 2024 playoffs vs. Dallas. Paul George — Westbrook’s strongest internal supporter — leaving for Philadelphia in free agency also played a factor in the Clippers trading Westbrook, Murray notes.

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic raised concerns about Denver’s outside shooting following the loss to Oklahoma City. On Saturday, he nearly single-handedly got the Nuggets back into the game by converting a career-high seven three-pointers and scoring a game-high 41 points, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. However, the Nuggets failed to hold a slim lead down the stretch, and were torched by Clippers guard Norman Powell, who scored 22 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter.
Head coach Michael Malone took responsibility for Powell’s fourth-quarter explosion, Durando adds. “Norman Powell kicked our (butts) in the fourth. … We continued to foul jump-shooters. Lack of discipline there,” Malone said. “That’s concerning because the same guys are making the same mistakes over and over. And if a guy is considered a run-off, we can’t let him keep shooting 3s. … But as I told our team, when a guy has a fourth quarter like that, it’s on me to make sure that we’re doing something to get the ball out of his hands. And I didn’t do that. So I take ownership for that, and I have to do a better job.”
Will the Nuggets benefit if NBA referees continue calling fewer fouls like they did at the end of last season? Durando explores that topic in a subscriber-only story for The Denver Post.

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Caruso, Holmgren, Randle

October 25th, 2024 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Offseason concerns about the Nuggets‘ shooting played out in an opening-night loss to Oklahoma City, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Denver shot 7-of-39 from beyond the arc and scored just 87 points as the Thunder pulled away in a battle of two of the West’s elite teams. Nikola Jokic admitted there are offensive issues that have to be worked out.

“We are not a good shooting team, I think, except probably (Michael Porter Jr.) and Jamal (Murray),” Jokic told reporters. “All of us are kind of streaky. Not streaky, you know, but just average shooters.”

OKC opted to throw frequent double teams at Jokic while daring players such as Christian Braun, Russell Westbrook and Peyton Watson to beat them from the outside, Jones adds. He notes that the Nuggets only got 16 points from their bench and often looked slower and less athletic than the Thunder.

Jones suggests that coach Michael Malone may need to consider breaking up his starting five and using Porter off the bench to provide a shooting threat for the second unit. However, Malone doesn’t sound ready to make drastic changes after one loss.

“The bottom line is that I have to figure out a way to get Julian (Strawther) going,” he said. “I have to figure out a way to get Dario Saric going. So you definitely have to take a lot of factors into account. I think the more our guys play together, the better off we will be.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Alex Caruso‘s impact on the Thunder‘s defense was evident in his first game, observes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Even though he went scoreless in 19 minutes, Caruso repeatedly found ways to disrupt Denver’s offense. Coach Mark Daigneault said that during a walkthrough after the morning shootaround, Caruso was already his most knowledgeable player on how to attack the Nuggets. “He’s on the side and he’s calling out what we should be doing,” Daigneault said. “Contact switch. Rotate this way. His fingerprints are all over everything.”
Chet Holmgren got bigger and stronger during the offseason, which should be helpful as he spends more time at center, Slater adds. Free agent addition Isaiah Hartenstein is out until at least December with a broken left hand and backups Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams are also currently sidelined. “I think it’s a testament to what he’s done with his body,” Daigneault said. “He just played minute for minute with Jokic, who is very physical, and didn’t flinch, almost got stronger … What he did minute for minute with Jokic is not to be taken lightly.”
After looking tentative in his Timberwolves debut, Julius Randle was back in All-Star form Thursday night with 33 points, five rebounds and four assists in a win at Sacramento, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. It was only Randle’s second game since injuring his shoulder last winter, and that type of production shows why the Wolves were willing to part with Karl-Anthony Towns to acquire him from New York. “We told him this morning, don’t fit around us, we’re going to fit around you,” Anthony Edwards said. “He showed us today.”

Nuggets Notes: Murray, Jokic, Gordon, Saric, Watson

October 20th, 2024 at 4:50pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

If they have any hope of winning their second title in three seasons, the 2o24/25 Nuggets need star point guard Jamal Murray to be the best version of himself, opines Troy Renck of The Denver Post.

Even though Murray has battled injuries in recent years and submitted an underwhelming performance for Team Canada in the 2024 Olympics, Denver moved forward on a four-year, maximum-salary contract extension with him during the offseason.

Murray was highly effective in his 59 healthy games last season, averaging 21.2 points, 6.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.0 steal per contest.

With Murray, three-time MVP center Nikola Jokic, and forward Michael Porter Jr. all signed to maximum deals — and power forward Aaron Gordon likely in line for a raise on a potential extension — the Nuggets may be locked into their current core for a while.

There’s more out of Denver:

Far beyond the purview of the Nuggets’ fanbase in Denver, Nikola Jokic‘s greatness has reached international superstar levels, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Nuggets. The 6’11” big man’s superstardom was on display during a pair of recent preseason games in Abu Dhabi, when he was very much the star of the show.
New veteran Nuggets big man signing Dario Saric is already impressing teammate Aaron Gordon, per DNVR Sports (YouTube video link).“So excited to play with Dario,” Gordon said. “He’s a hell of a talent, so versatile. [He] does multiple things on the floor — can pass the ball, can shoot the ball, can score, can defend, can play big, can play small… I don’t think you guys understand how big of an impact that he will have on this team, playing that backup center, playing that backup four.”
Still dealing with a hamstring strain, intriguing young Nuggets reserve swingman Peyton Watson was able to fully partake in team practice Sunday for the first time in five weeks, reports Durando in another article. “We’ll see how that injury and how that muscle reacts to what he did today,” head coach Michael Malone said following the practice. “Because tomorrow, the hope is to introduce some more things offensively. … I want to blow it out tomorrow. We’ll be on the main court, which will be nice to finally get on the main court and play, maybe, three or four 12-minute quarters. And the hope is that Peyton feels good enough to be able to get through at least some of those (quarters) tomorrow.”

Nuggets Notes: Towns, Saric, Gordon, Westbrook

October 13th, 2024 at 5:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With Karl-Anthony Towns now a member of the Knicks, the Timberwolves no longer present major matchup problems for the Nuggets, according to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post.

Denver was eliminated by Minnesota in last season’s playoffs in part because of the Timberwolves’ big man duo of Towns and Rudy Gobert. The Nuggets’ starting lineup had scored 125.9 points per 100 possessions during the regular season, Durando notes, but that number dropped to 102.6 in the second-round series. Oklahoma City now rates as the toughest matchup for Denver as it attempts to win two titles in three seasons.

We have more on the Nuggets:

Dario Saric was added in free agency on a two-year, $10.6MM deal. The Nuggets were intrigued by his versatility, Durando writes. “I think backup five, backup four, can play with Nikola (Jokic) at times, no doubt,” coach Michael Malone said. “If we go big, play him with a guy like DeAndre Jordan. … What you love about Dario is he’s been a three-man, he’s been a four, and later in his NBA career he’s been a backup five, a small-ball five. Very skilled. Can handle it. Can pass. Can shoot. Bigger than people realize. Strong, physical. I’m excited to explore all the options that Dario will afford us.”
Aaron Gordon believes the Nuggets improved in the offseason with Saric and Russell Westbrook in the fold. “We got better,” Gordon told Matt Brooks of Nuggets.com. “I hate losing [Kentavious Caldwell-Pope] and Jeff Green, but I like our additions.”
In case you missed it, the Nuggets picked up the contract options of three key players last week. Get the details here.

And-Ones: Nash, Petrovic, Campazzo, Olympics

August 25th, 2024 at 10:33am CST by Arthur Hill

Steve Nash isn’t looking to return to coaching after his experience in Brooklyn, writes Mindaugas Bertys of BasketNews. Nash was somewhat of a surprising hire when the Nets tabbed him to be their head coach in 2020, overseeing a team that expected to contend for a title with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. He compiled a 94-67 record in a little more than two years, but parted ways with the organization early in the 2022/23 season after the team got off to a 2-5 start.

“Coaching was a great experience for me and my family. I didn’t want to be a career coach. I just wanted to help that project,” Nash said during an appearance Saturday at Goran Dragic‘s farewell game. “I don’t feel like coaching is necessarily in my future. I’m very focused at this time on having as big an impact on my kids as possible.”

With five children, Nash told reporters that his duties as a father are his top priority. He compared the experience to being an “Uber driver,” but added that he hasn’t fully removed himself from basketball.

“At this stage of my life, it has been really rewarding,” Nash said. “That’s really where my focus is, but there are always projects, affiliations and partnerships, and things that are interesting, so I always have something going on.”

There’s more from around the basketball world:

Several current and former NBA players will take part in an exhibition game to honor the memory of Drazen Petrovic, per Johnny Askounis of EuroHoops. The event will take place September 5 in Zagreb to celebrate the legacy of the Croatian star, who was one of the first European players to make an impact in the NBA before he died in an auto accident in 1993. Bojan Bogdanovic, Dario Saric, Ivica Zubac, Damjan Rudez and Gordan Giricek are among the players scheduled to participate.
Facundo Campazzo, who spent three seasons with Denver and Dallas, talked to BasketNews about the differences between the NBA and international basketball and shared some advice he got from Nikola Jokic when he joined the Nuggets in 2020. “He came up to me and said, ‘Forget about everything you learned in FIBA basketball all these years. This is a different sport’ — and it was just like that,” Campazzo recalled. “It’s another way of facing the season, another way of practicing, of playing — also because the rules are different, the game is played in a different way. In fact, Jokic was the point guard. So I had to reinvent my way of playing, but he helped me a lot, it makes you a better player.”
Netflix will air a documentary series next year focusing on the 2024 Olympic basketball competition, according to BasketNews. The IOC granted unlimited access to camera crews throughout the qualification process and the games in France.

Western Notes: Nuggets, Markkanen, Mavs, Thunder

August 5th, 2024 at 10:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It has been an eventful offseason for the Nuggets and The Athletic’s Tony Jones breaks down all the meaningful developments. They lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency but the front office is convinced Christian Braun can handle a larger role. The Nuggets are also encouraged by Julian Strawther‘s Summer League performances and think he’ll add much-needed shooting to the rotation.

The Nuggets believe Russell Westbrook will fortify their offense and they’ll also need free agent addition Dario Saric to produce in a backup frontcourt role, especially with first-rounder DaRon Holmes having suffered a torn Achilles during Summer League action. If Saric doesn’t deliver, the Nuggets could be forced to use Aaron Gordon as the de facto backup center, Jones writes.

We have more from the Western Conference:

If the Jazz plan on trading Lauri Markkanen, they’re certainly doing a good job hiding their intentions. Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post that the Jazz recently sent multiple coaching staff representatives to Finland to assist Markkanen in workouts with second-year guard Keyonte George. That gives the impression they’re not looking to deal their starting power forward, regardless of whether he signs an extension.
The Mavericks had a solid offseason with the addition of Klay Thompson in a sign-and-trade with Golden State. They also signed free agents Naji Marshall and Spencer Dinwiddie and acquired Quentin Grimes in a trade. Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com takes a closer look at what each player could bring to the defending Western Conference champions.
The Thunder‘s front office is wise to keep a roster spot open on the 15-man roster, Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated opines. Any free agent they could bring in now probably wouldn’t play much and keeping that spot open could facilitate a trade involving multiple players, Stiles notes. It could also make it easier to add a player in the buyout market during the season to fill a need.

Northwest Notes: Dillingham, Wolves, Hendricks, Nuggets

July 19th, 2024 at 2:32pm CST by Rory Maher

Timberwolves guard Rob Dillingham, the No. 8 overall pick of last month’s draft, has been receiving advice from Mike Conley and John Wall as he prepares for his rookie season, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.

Dillingham said he reached out to new teammate Conley for defensive advice. As for Wall, the former All-Star point guard is a North Carolina native who went to Kentucky, just like Dillingham.

“That’s my guy,” Dillingham said of Wall. “He been knowing me, texting me and stuff. At Kentucky, he came to all our games. I just hit him after the [Pelicans] game. I was super mad because I didn’t play that well. I just hit him, and he was just telling me to play my game.”

Here’s more from the Northwest:

Michael Rand and Hine of The Star Tribune recently discussed which Timberwolves players participating in Summer League have the best odds of becoming rotation members in the future. Despite struggling so far in Las Vegas, Dillingham will be given “every chance” to be Conley’s backup at point guard next season, according to Rand and Hine, who also expect fellow first-rounder Terrence Shannon to carve out rotation minutes in 2024/25. Former second-round pick Leonard Miller has impressed at Summer League, but he’s more likely to contribute in 2025/26 than ’24/25, per Rand and Hine.
Second-year Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks bounced back with a strong performance at Summer League on Wednesday after struggling on Monday, notes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. A lottery pick last year (No. 9 overall), Hendricks contributed 23 points (on 9-of-10 shooting), nine rebounds, one steal and one block. “I think he was just more aggressive and more physical right from the start,” said Summer League coach Sean Shelden. ” … How you stick in a rotation, how you stick in the NBA, is just playing like how he did tonight.”
In a subscriber-only story for The Denver Post, Bennett Durando breaks down the Nuggets‘ projected depth chart for next season. Durando has Christian Braun sliding into the starting lineup at shooting guard, with Russell Westbrook, Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson, Vlatko Cancar and Dario Saric as Denver’s first five off the bench. Westbrook will reportedly sign with the Nuggets after he finalizes a buyout with Utah and clears waivers.

Dario Saric Signs With Nuggets

July 12th, 2024 at 6:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

July 12: Saric’s deal with the Nuggets is now official, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).

July 6: The Nuggets will add veteran power forward/center Dario Saric on a two-year, $10.6MM deal, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Saric will have a player option on the second season of the contract, Wojnarowski adds.

Denver will use its $5.2MM taxpayer mid-level exception and will become hard capped at the $188.9MM second apron, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link). The Nuggets are currently $12.6MM below the apron with 12 players under contract. They will be limited to minimum signings to fill out the roster.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports revealed last week that Denver had ongoing interest in signing Saric. He reportedly also had an opportunity to join Panathinaikos in Greece if he didn’t receive an NBA offer to his liking.

Saric earned $2.7MM last season with the Warriors on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract. He appeared in 64 games, making nine starts, and averaged 8.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 17.2 minutes per night.

He’ll likely fill a similar role with the Nuggets, who have been looking to add some experience to their roster after suffering significant free agent losses since winning the 2023 championship. His signing may also clear the way for a trade of forward/center Zeke Nnaji, who is reportedly being made available. Nnaji saw limited playing time last season, and his four-year, $32MM contract extension will begin with the 2024/25 season.

Saric, 30, was selected with the 12th pick in the 2014 draft. Before coming to Golden State, he spent time with Philadelphia, Minnesota, Phoenix and Oklahoma City.

Northwest Notes: Murray, Hartenstein, Holmgren, Clark, Kessler, Saric

July 8th, 2024 at 10:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jamal Murray and the Nuggets were reportedly progressing toward a four-year max extension agreement in late June. So what’s the holdup?

According to The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando, extension talks between the front office and the Nuggets’ point guard are temporarily on the backburner while Murray preparies for the Paris Olympics with Team Canada. The two sides will likely finalize an agreement after the Olympics are done, Durando adds. The only potential stumbling block could occur if Murray suffers a significant injury prior to signing an extension.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

New Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein is impressed by how the team has methodically been built into a potential powerhouse in the Western Conference, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. “I think they were doing it the right way,” said Hartenstein, who left the Knicks and signed a three-year, $87MM contract with OKC. “I feel like they weren’t trying to rush steps. I think every year you kind of saw them take the next step. I think every time you see them go on the court, there’s a certain competitiveness always to them. They’re very excited for each other, and I think in the NBA you don’t have that a lot where no matter who’s doing good, the whole team is excited for each other.”
The Thunder‘s additions of Hartenstein and Alex Caruso should benefit Chet Holmgren, Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustated opines. Holmgren will have more freedom to show off his passing and play-making skills. It also opens up opportunities for Holmgren to play alongside another big man.
The Timberwolves’ Jaylen Clark has been cleared to play in the Summer League after recovering last season from a ruptured left Achilles tendon, the team announced in a press release. Minnesota drafted Clark in the second round last year despite Clark’s injury, which he suffered while playing for UCLA. Clark told Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune he can be a defensive factor in the league. “I just want to re-establish myself as the best defender in my class,” he said. “I can guard way bigger than what I am, and I’ve improved my jump shot a whole bunch. I’m going to try to break the steals record like I did at my college.”
Given his strong rookie season, Walker Kessler might seem a little out of place on the Jazz‘s Summer League squad. After a disappointing sophomore campaign, the third-year center wants to reestablish himself as a major defensive factor. He told the Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen that improving his body had been his No. 1 overall focus in the two months since the season ended. “I’m going into it with the mentality of, ‘I’m gonna be dominant.’ I’m gonna show what I’ve been working on and I’m looking forward to it,” Kessler said.
The Nuggets viewed Dario Saric as a top-priority target and reached an agreement with the big man on a two-year, $10.6MM deal. Saric was unsure if he wanted to play in the NBA or Europe next season before choosing the Nuggets, according to Durando. Multiple NBA teams showed interest in him, as well as the Greek club Panathinaikos, but the Nuggets felt confident about landing Saric.
The Timberwolves are looking toward rookies Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr., 2023 second-round pick Leonard Miller and 2022 second-rounder Josh Minott to compete for rotation spots next season, according to Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “We got some holes right away that need to be plugged and there’s no doubt that they’re going to have to be filled by young players, whether it be these two guys [Dillingham and Shannon] or guys that have already been in the system, in the gym,” coach Chris Finch said. “That’s what we need to do. We’re excited about that challenge and we’re looking forward to these guys stepping up to it.”

Free Agent Rumors: DeRozan, Westbrook, Fournier, Saric

July 6th, 2024 at 10:38am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Spurs have emerged as a potential third-team facilitator as the Kings continue to pursue free agent forward DeMar DeRozan via sign-and-trade, NBA insider Marc Stein reports (Twitter link). Previous reports have indicated that Chicago is willing to facilitate a sign-and-trade but is insistent on a third team being involved so as to not take back much, if any, salary.

On the #thisleague UNCUT podcast (Twitter link), Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report stated that the Kings, Heat and Clippers are teams exploring avenues to acquire DeRozan via a three-team sign-and-trade. Haynes also mentions San Antonio as a landing spot for unwanted salary alongside Detroit.

We have more free agent rumors:

Russell Westbrook may be more likely to go to the Nuggets through free agency rather than by way of trade, DNVR Sports’ Harrison Wind opines (Twitter link). The Clippers could either buy out Westbrook or send him to another team that would buy him out, clearing the path for him to sign with Denver. For what it’s worth, finding a trade that makes sense for both sides appears difficult.
As was reported earlier this year, Stein indicates in his latest Substack post that free agent swingman Evan Fournier‘s preference is to remain in the NBA rather than to accept a EuroLeague deal. According to Stein, Fournier is expected to receive some NBA interest as free agency winds on.
Greek club Panathinaikos is reportedly interested in adding free agent forward Dario Saric, according to Sportando. The 30-year-old forward averaged 8.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 37.6% from deep as a reserve for the Warriors last season. It would be a little surprising to see Saric make the jump to Europe so soon after free agency begins given his productive season last year and the chance for more NBA interest to trickle in.