By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
NBA veteran Dario Saric opened up about the professional frustrations and broken promises that led to his recent departure from the league. Following a chaotic trade window in early February, he was waived by the Detroit Pistons, ending a nine-year tenure in the NBA on a bitter note.
In a revealing interview with Croatia’s Jutarnji list, following his recent appearances in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifiers, Saric expressed deep disillusionment with how NBA franchises manage veteran players. Reflecting on his brief stint with the Sacramento Kings, he criticized the lack of transparency regarding his role.
“It would be better if they told you back in August, ‘we don’t want you,” he mentioned. “Instead, I fly from Sibenik, come to San Francisco, drive two hours to Sacramento, fall asleep from jet lag, wake up at five in the morning, get a medical, then back to San Francisco and fly back to Europe. They forced me to do that.” Despite arriving at training camp early and in peak condition, he found himself sidelined. “I don’t understand what they thought in August, that I was Wemby, that I would defend everything, and that I would put up roadblocks?! I guess they knew who I was.”
His struggles with consistency were exacerbated by his earlier spell with the Denver Nuggets, where he found it impossible to maintain a rhythm with sporadic minutes. “You don’t play for three months, and they put you in place of Nikola Jokic against Boston. So what, now after three months you’re going to play as if nothing happened? It’s hard, it doesn’t work at the NBA level.”
Now a free agent, the Sibenik native tallied 17.0 points and 6.0 rebounds for Croatia in a home-and-away series against Germany. While he is ineligible for the current EuroLeague season due to registration deadlines, he is actively seeking a bridge contract for the remainder of the 2025-26 schedule to prepare for next year.
“I’m waiting, I don’t know what to say,” he admitted. “I wanted a contract until the end of this season, plus the season after. So that I could get into some kind of rhythm, play the championship finals, and get ready for next season to show whether I’m the one or not. That hasn’t happened for now.”
After enjoying a more prominent role during the early stages of his career, Saric left the NBA with 522 appearances, averaging 10.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.