Philadelphia 76ers Wanting Dario Saric Now May Indicate Draft Direction

The Philadelphia 76ers want Dario Saric and they want him now!

Of course, the Sixers are already the proud owners of Saric’s rights once he can opt out of his current contract with Turkish basketball power Anadolu Efes, but that option doesn’t present itself until after the 2015-16 season. Sam Hinkie and the Sixers are aware of this, but they want him in The City of Brotherly Love now.

As expected, luring Saric to Philly has more than it’s share of potential roadblocks; most notably the buyout issue, as he’s still under contract with Anadolu Efes for at least one more season. But there are ways around this, as Derek Bodner of LibertyBallers.com illustrated with a breakdown of what Saric would be due once he arrives in Philly and how the Sixers could use that to their benefit in a buyout:

"For the 12th pick in the 2014 NBA draft, the NBA slots a first year salary of $1,803,400. 120% of that gives a max that they can allocate towards Saric as $2,164,080, of which Saric must receive $1,442,720 (80% of $1,803,400). This means that the Sixers can give Saric another ~$721k towards a buyout. “Since signing bonuses are based off of the percentage of guaranteed salary, and first round picks have the first two seasons fully guaranteed, a similar bonus can be done for year two of Saric’s contract. Giving the Sixers the ability to contribute $625k towards Saric’s buyout, and also allowing Saric to get up to ~$1.5 million of his guaranteed salary up front, which he can use towards the buyout."

It could go without saying that it will be an extreme stretch for the Sixers to get Saric stateside in time for next season, but there could be an underlying message with the simple notion that Philly wants the Croatian power forward playing for them now – their direction in the draft.

The draft has unquestionably been stapled as the way Philadelphia hopes to ultimately build a championship franchise, and to this point, Hinkie and company have exhausted three lottery picks and their former All-Star point guard in Jrue Holiday towards that effort.

The result: Saric, who is yet to suit up for Philly, Nerlens Noel, who looks like a future Defensive Player of the Year, an injured Joel Embiid, who has drawn realistic comparisons to Hakeem Olajuwon if he can return to complete health and remain that way, and a point guard who never panned out in Michael Carter-Williams.

This leaves the Sixers with three big men, and three very good big men at that; two of which, in Noel and Embiid, would have almost certainly been No. 1 overall picks if injuries hadn’t occurred.

But amidst this process – more formally known as “The Process” to Sixers fans – the Sixers’ roster has become a revolving door of marginal talent with very little to show for it outside of a multitude of draft picks throughout a handful of years.

At some point, you have to quit tearing down and begin building. This would require getting the best talent Hinkie has accrued as a collective whole in Sixers jerseys together. It’s exactly why Hinkie would want Saric in Philly now. The Sixers could potentially boast a three-headed monster in the paint, at least in terms of potential and sheer talent until the results prove whether or not Embiid, Noel and Saric could all mesh together on one team.

But the idea is there and it’s why wanting Saric now may indicate the Sixers’ direction in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Having three exceptionally talented big men on board for the 2015-16 season would give the Sixers absolutely no reason to pursue another big with the No. 3 pick, whether it be Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor or Kristaps Porzingis. There would be an overwhelming logjam down low that would almost certainly limit the minutes Noel, Embiid and Saric could be consuming and ultimately developing into the stars Hinkie hopes they’ll be.

Sure, drafting another big would provide security should Embiid’s injuries become reoccurring issue, but that possibility is nothing but a premature concern at this point.

The same concerns were evident with Noel entering last season, especially considering his staggeringly fragile build. Noel would go on to play in 75 of 82 games, averaging more than 30 minutes per game.

This method would be like stocking up on V8 engines for that old-school car you’re rebuilding from the ground up, simply for the security of having an extra few if one engine happened to blow. Meanwhile, you still haven’t invested in the tires that make the car run.

Simply put: the Sixers do not need any more big men, and it’s quite likely Hinkie would have the same thoughts with wanting to bring Saric over now. Philly would have two potential cornerstone big men, and a possible centerpiece in Embiid. This would turn the focus to the crucial point guard position; a void that absolutely must be filled if Philly has realistic championship aspirations.

Who’s the last championship team to accomplish that feat without a star-caliber floor general, with the obvious exception of the LeBron James and Dwyane Wade–led Miami Heat? Unless you have the best player in the world aiding in your championship efforts, you need a great point guard.

Hinkie swung for the fences with Noel and Embiid to establish his frontcourt of the future. The 2015 draft is the time for him to do the same for his need at point guard, and what better options than D’Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay, two extremely high-upside prospects with limitless talent to work with at only 19 years old?

If Hinkie is looking to add his third prized big man to the roster as early as humanly possible, it’s very likely that he’s looking to start solidifying roster spots with long-term pieces in hopes of becoming competitive a bit quicker, and filling that much-needed point guard spot would only speed that up.

Again, it’s still very unlikely the Sixers are ultimately able to get Saric in Philly before next summer, but that doesn’t mean Hinkie isn’t going to go out swinging trying to do so. Why would he possibly want to expend such a valuable draft pick on another big man when he hopes to have three ready to begin the 2015-16 season?

Hinkie almost never shows his hand or provides any insight as to what decisions he has up his sleep, especially when it comes to the draft. But with the news that the Sixers want Saric in Philly now, he may have just let it slip that he’s thinking guard.

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