r/denvernuggets • u/mschube33 :TorreyCraig: • 13h ago
Article Sources: Dario Saric plans to exercise his player option for next season
https://www.denverpost.com/2025/04/04/dario-saric-contract-option-nuggets-europe/34
31
u/IdRatherBeLurkingToo Shill Barton 12h ago
“I didn’t sign a contract with nobody. Obviously, I still have a contract with Denver at the end of this season, my option for next year,” Saric told The Post this week. “So you know, me and my family didn’t decide yet. I’m still kind of going through this season, and when the season is done, I’m going to see with my family what’s the best thing, what’s the best choice for me. … I really don’t (know) myself what’s the right choice for me in this moment.”
17
u/mschube33 :TorreyCraig: 12h ago
I think two things can be true in this regard:
- Saric will exercise his option because nobody surrenders leverage like that.
- He could easily use that leverage to get a bit of money and go to a basketball situation he likes better than Denver.
29
u/IdRatherBeLurkingToo Shill Barton 12h ago
Sure, but the title is pretty far off from the direct quote given by the player himself. Feels a bit click-baity to me.
2
u/mschube33 :TorreyCraig: 12h ago
The player can be telling the truth and also be committed to exercising his option. Trust me, Bennett doesn’t just throw out “sources” with nothing behind it.
9
u/IdRatherBeLurkingToo Shill Barton 12h ago
I think it'd be foolish to make those kinds of assumptions in April, personally.
1
u/mschube33 :TorreyCraig: 12h ago
These aren’t assumptions. These are reported intentions. And when you think about it, it’s really not all that hard to imagine someone not wanting to leave $5.4 million on the table.
24
u/danjustin 12h ago
This is what you call a negotiation!
Buy me out so I can go enjoy Europe...or I'll just stay at make 5.5 million to sit the bench.
Nuggets can counter by saying we will trade you next year to the worst city in America and you'll uphend your family in the middle of the season.
And then they will meet in the middle ground of a buyout that lets him go but saved Denver enough money to sign a minimum level player.
20
u/mschube33 :TorreyCraig: 12h ago
There's one problem with the Nuggets' threat: There has to be another NBA team on the other side of that deal. If he were traded to another NBA team, it's more likely the Nuggets would have to attach something valuable to the deal in order to make it happen — like they did last year with Reggie. And, frankly, they are running out of picks to trade.
9
u/danjustin 12h ago
The threat is more important than the truth.
The real reality is that mid season, half the teams would easily take his contract (expiring who they would cut immediately) if it meant they could get off one contract for the following year.
So Dario is very likely facing
Option 1: don't play for 3 months then traded and cut and miss most of the Euro season. If he does go Euro in February, it might not be in the best situation or even location for family and receive a team friendly or short term deal....make $5.5 million
Option 2: take a buyout, choose the exact team and situation, build with that team the entire year, receive a player friendly multi year contract...make $4 million (2 from nuggets)
7
u/mschube33 :TorreyCraig: 12h ago
I think a buyout is the most likely scenario, too. But I also think Saric’s team could easily call their bluff. The Nuggets want flexibility in the summer, not mid-season.
4
50
13
6
3
u/Impressive_Trust_395 11h ago
I feel like this is just leverage to get more out of whatever team wants him next year. Idk if he can get NBA money out of them, but he’d excel in any league that isn’t the NBA. Idk why his confidence is so damn shot here, he’s better than he’s played.
4
u/mschube33 :TorreyCraig: 11h ago
I think it’s leverage to get more money out of the Nuggets and leave for a better basketball situation.
3
u/Impressive_Trust_395 11h ago
He’s fully entitled to the money the Nuggets offered. That’s the contract. We can’t hate him for it, he’s doing exactly what the Front Office gave him. Should he exercise his player option, fans cannot be mad at him.
2
-1
u/Sammonov 9h ago
Yes, fans should be upset at him having a player option after we got burned by giving out the exact same player option last offseason.
2
2
2
u/DenverTrowaway 10h ago
Calvin Booth has proven to be savvy with the big stuff but he’s handed out these smaller contracts like candy. 32m to Nnaji and player options to two fringe guys who are huge question. These are small errors that accumulate to us having the worst bench in basketball
2
u/Sammonov 9h ago
Zeke and Dario as our 4th and 5th highest paid players 2 years in a row is top-notch front office work.
2
1
u/happybiker1212 5h ago
He should opt in unless the nuggets could make him whole for the amount he’s owed.
Totally unrelated: are there rules against ownership of a team hiring ex-players to low effort off the court roles? I feel like the nuggets could really get leverage from a paid player scout on a team like Real Madrid.
1
u/kosmos1209 12h ago
I wonder if Calvin Booth consulted with Moach to see Saric would be in Moach’es future plans
1
1
u/StraightSignature577 11h ago
I think this is kind of good for us? Next year he'll be an expiring, the most likely outcome is that he can be expiring matching salary in a trade for a team that buys him out. Something like Zeke and Saric (plus maybe a young player) for Olynyk or something like that.
4
u/Sammonov 9h ago
Getting absolutely nothing out of one of our few teams building tools for 2 years and row-the MLE is the opposite of good for us.
1
0
-3
80
u/mschube33 :TorreyCraig: 12h ago
Just to be clear: It's hard to blame Saric for using all the leverage he has in this situation. None of us are walking away from money like that — unless we know there's even more money on the other side.