While the Sacramento Kings didn't make a lot of moves before the trade deadline, one of them sent Dario Saric on a journey that has led him right out of the league. His experience in Sacramento has left a bitter taste in his mouth, as did his last couple of seasons in the NBA. And he's right.
The 31-year-old center from Sibenik, Croatia joined the NBA in 2014 when he was drafted 12th overall by the Orlando Magic. In truth, Saric had started his professional basketball career in 2009 in Europe. He was even nominated for the FIBA Europe Young Player of the Year Award twice.
While he was technically drafted by the Magic, the rights to Saric were immediately traded to the Sixers that same evening. He acutally continued to play in Europe for a bit longer, and didn't officially start with Philadelphia until the 2016-2017 season.
The likely end of Saric's NBA career
Over his almost ten seasons in the NBA, Saric ultimately played for seven franchises. His longest tenure by far was with the Suns. This season, he played with the Kings after the Nuggets traded him for Jonas Valanciunas. Then he was traded again just before the 2026 deadline.
As part of a three-team deal, Sacramento sent Saric to the Bulls, though he never suited up for them. Before Saric could blink, he was then part of another deal that put him on the road to the Pistons, a legit contender. That didn't work out either as Detroit quickly waived the Croatian forward and center.
Now, Saric has been left without a spot in the NBA and is back in Croatia. While he's working to get back into the mix in Europe, a recent interview with a Croatian news outlet clearly indicates he's unhappy with how the Kings treated him. It's not hard to understand why.
Sacramento did Saric dirty
The Kings traded Valanciunas due to salary cap concerns, not because they wanted Saric on the team. Once there, they basically benched Dario for the almost two thirds of the regular season he was with them. The coaching staff didn't show much interest in him.
To be fair to Sacramento, the Nuggets didn't treat Saric any better, and he points that out in the article as well. Saric mentions that he wishes that the Kings in particular had been more upfront about their lack of interest in him, rather than making him jump through hoops just to ride the pine.
Look, no one thought bringing in Saric was a good move. The Kings have as big a logjam at center as they do at the guard positions. Despite having an impressive European resume, Saric got caught up in that and struggled to find minutes. It's tough, but a little honesty by Sacramento might have helped.