While Nuggets fans are scouring the news for any updates and rumors about free agents connected to the team, all remains quiet. The team is still yet to make a free agency signing and the field of available players is drying up.
Still, there are plenty of players on the market who could still help the Nuggets next season (we’ve talked about many of them) and as teams use their cap space and roster spots, the price tag for remaining players should be going down. Hopefully, the Nuggets have had their targets and they’re simply biding their time until the minimum contract or taxpayer MLE that Denver can offer becomes palatable.
Nuggets should target Dario Saric
But in all of our deep dives into potential additions, one player we’ve yet to hit on is Dario Saric who spent last season with the Warriors. Saric has played for five NBA teams but he’s still just 30 years old and has only played seven seasons in the league. He missed all of the 2021-22 season with a torn ACL and bounced around the following season, but he had a nice bounceback year in Golden State last year with 8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game in just over 17 minutes.
At 6’10”, Saric isn’t a great defender but he has the size and smarts to hold his own on that end. Perhaps his most appealing trait is his shooting ability as Saric is a true stretch-big, shooting almost 38% from three last season. Now Saric will be two years off of his injury and he’s been lighting it up for Team Croatia in Olympic Qualifying.
Saric would fit in perfectly in Denver
Saric would be a dream fit for the Nuggets. His size and shooting would allow him to play alongside any of Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, or DaRon Holmes. He could be a backup center and power forward with serious shooting juice - something the team hasn’t had from a big man in ages.
DaRon Holmes is young and unproven and DeAndre Jordan is old and washed up. The Nuggets need a reliable big man with some NBA experience and Saric can fill that void to perfection. His market shouldn’t be too robust and the Nuggets should pounce on this opportunity and lock up Saric for their frontcourt.