Dario Saric #20 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during the NBA game at the Phoenix Suns Arena on March 30, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Hawks 117-110. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Forward Dario Saric hasn’t played for the Phoenix Suns since injuring his knee in the 2021 NBA Finals.
He is one of a group of NBA players who completely missed out last season. And like many of those athletes, his role is up in the air as he hopes for a healthy 2022-23 season.
ESPN’s NBA experts have picked the list of returning rotation players who didn’t appear last season, and Dave McMenamin writes why Saric’s status remains to be seen.
There is a soft market for big men in the NBA today. While Saric’s passing and shooting ability separates him from the rest of the crowd, it remains to be seen if Phoenix will wait out his rehab process in hopes of putting him back in the mix with the departures of McGee, Kaminsky and Smith.
Saric, whose contract expires, suffered a torn right ACL in Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Finals.
Long after rehabilitating his torn ACL, Saric underwent surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee in the second round of this year’s playoffs in May.
Prior to the injury, Saric was a helpful big man who found a suitable role for Phoenix.
During the 2020-21 regular season leading up to the Phoenix NBA Finals, Saric was solid for the Suns off the bench, averaging 8.7 points on 44.7% shooting and 3.8 rebounds per game. in 50 games.
He was a top 10 NBA player in the NET ranking as a backup center before his role dropped for the playoffs. He only played 10.7 minutes per game before his knee injury.
In Saric’s absence since then, the Suns have gone through JaVale McGee, Frank Kaminsky, Jalen Smith, Bismack Biyombo and Ish Wainright in a variety of backup center roles.
For his career, Saric is averaging 11.7 points, six rebounds and two assists per game while shooting 44% from the field.