The Philadelphia 76ers made the major swoop of the offseason by agreeing to a contract with the most sought-after free agent in Paul George. They also build some of their backup talent with Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon, but they need more to be able to compete against the Boston Celtics and the rest of the Eastern Conference rivals.
According to the latest rumors, Paul Reed is among the players that are set to part ways with the franchise, either by trade or by buying out his contract. In that case, the team will need an upgrade in the forward/mobile center position and the perfect man for this job is still without contract waiting in the free agency market pool.
Former Sixers fan-favorite, Dario Saric is the ideal mix of size and shooting the team needs. The Croatian big is balling out in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament with his national team. He registered his first triple-double of his career with Croatia in the opening game of the tournament against Luka Doncic and Slovenia leading his team to a 92-108 victory.
📊 19 PTS 10 REB 10 AST
— FIBA (@FIBA) July 2, 2024
Dario Saric with a world class performance dropping his first triple double with the senior National Team.⭐🇭🇷#FIBAOQT pic.twitter.com/A0Cg5BQOXP
There are many 76ers fans that they want to see the 'The Homie' back to Wells Fargo Center. Saric is coming off a great season playing in the Bay Area for the Warriors alongside Stephen Curry. It was also one of the healthiest season he had in a long time appearing in 64 games. His shooting and cutting ability was evident in the Warriors system, while he has improved significantly on finishing inside.
He almost shot 47% from the field and 56.6% on two-pointers, while making his threes on a 37.6% clip on 3.1 attempts per game. Saric is much more than a floor stretcher as his size is giving him the chance to make plays from the high post. The former Sixer came from Europe as a great initiator, especially in the open court and remains a dependable playmaker from the high post.
Why Saric is a great fit for the Philadelphia 76ers?
Daryl Morey has already done his big money moves in the free agency by acquiring Paul George and signing back Tyrese Maxey. It remains to be seen if the Sixers' front office leader can bring more talent without touching the limiting 'second apron' that was introduced to the NBA this offseason. Saric had a great relationship with the city of Philadelphia, and he might want to hear the fans cheering him again in Wells Fargo Center.
Playing alongside Joel Embiid will give him the chance to make an impact alongside one of the best centers in the league, while having multiple times All-Star Paul George and emerging superstar Tyrese Maxey by his side. The Sixers became an attractive destination after a stellar start to free agency and brining in valid role players will be the next important step in the process.
Saric has been constantly part of winning franchises during the last few seasons from the contending Suns to the battle-tested Warriors, Saric was an active part of the rotation in every team he played for. Even during his time in Philly, the 76ers started to win more games when 'The Homie' arrived in the city.
More importantly, he is going to be a nice fit for the franchise considering that he's coming off one of the best seasons of his career. He posted a career-high in AST% (17.8), while he finished the season with the second-best box plus-minus (1.0) of his career, per basketball-reference. His ability of becoming a secondary creator from the wing or the paint will certainly make things easier for the trio of superstars.
With the new rules on team building being inserted this offseason, many free agents might be forced to take less money to sign in free agency. Saric might be among the players affected by the rules despite coming off an excellent season in Golden State. The Warriors are getting cheaper as a team and bringing him back could be a tough task for them.
The Sixers might be able to work on a sign-and-trade deal for Saric with a team willing to take back some second rounders along with Paul Reed's contract as a salary filler. In any case, the 76ers will make a huge move that will make the Philly faithful even more happy after nabbing Paul George at the start of the free agency period.