At the NBA trade deadline, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded away Darius Bazley to the Phoenix Suns for Dario Saric and a future second round pick.
At first this trade seemed like a throw away and there was a possibility that Saric would be bought out, but he has made a great impact on the Thunder squad.
Dario Saric is providing great minutes off the bench for the Thunder, contributing experience and floor spacing.
Saric spent two and a half seasons in Phoenix, where he became a solid piece for the 2020-2021 NBA Finals runner ups. The Croatian forward tore his ACL during that series, which diminished his role on the Suns since then.
When Oklahoma City traded for Saric there was no expectation that Saric would provide much value, but he has been quietly an important part of the Thunder’s success in recent games.
In just an average of 14 minutes, Saric is scoring eight points per game with three rebounds on 55/38/86 shooting splits. The floor spacing Saric provides as a 6’10 big man is comparable to what Mike Muscala provided the Thunder for several seasons, which is incredibly valuable for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company.
With Oklahoma City seeking a spot in the NBA postseason, it is also important for the youngest team in the NBA to have a veteran presence. Saric has bought into that role and can be a great mentor for players like Jaylin Williams, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and potentially Chet Holmgren, if Oklahoma City elects to re-sign Saric this offseason.
Saric will become a free agent in the 2023 offseason, and the Thunder should consider giving the 28 year old another contract. He would not be expensive, and has shown that he can be a solid veteran presence in his 13 games for the franchise so far.
With OKC, Saric is shooting a career-high 86 percent at the rim, a career-best 41 percent from three point land, and a corner three high watermark of 57 percent according to cleaning the glass.
While these are all small sample sizes, it shows what he can be in a limited role next season as the Thunder big man minutes get more crowded.