The New York Knicks opt to go smaller and more mobile by signing one underrated big man on the Golden State Warriors in a recent 2024 free agency projection.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report has the Knicks concocting an offer for Warriors forward/center Dario Saric, saying this about why the deal would make sense for New York (h/t Jeremy Brener of Fan Nation’s All Knicks):
“Assuming the Knicks wind up needing a backup center, they should give Dario Šari? a look. He would give this position group some different dimensions with his perimeter shooting and quick processing. His per-36-minutes stats from this season were fully loaded with 16.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.4 threes, per Basketball-Reference, and he enhanced those numbers with his efficient-as-usual 46.6/37.6/84.9 shooting slash,” Buckley wrote.
Knicks: Dario Saric would be a unique big man for their frontcourt depth chart
Saric is an interesting talent that the Knicks could benefit from having in 2024-25. The 6-10, 225-pound soon-to-be unrestricted free agent is skilled at catching the ball on the wings or at the top of the key, putting the ball on the floor, and getting creative with spin moves and drop steps to finish at the rim.
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Saric is also a good catch-and-shoot marksman from three-point range. The 30-year-old finished tied with Klay Thompson for fifth on the Warriors, having shot 38.1 percent from distance off the catch in this past regular season.
Saric’s style of play fits the Knicks’ direction & he would come at a reasonable price
His game would complement a Knicks team that saw success after emphasizing more fluid ball movement in the half-court. Saric isn’t the most outstanding defender, but is not a slouch on that end of the floor either. The Knicks are also bereft of a floor-spacing big man not named Julius Randle, so Saric could be a perfect utility play for head coach Tom Thibodeau next season.
The main concern that New York’s front office would have to consider is Saric’s injury history, including a torn ACL that sidelined him for the entire 2021-22 campaign. He did show that he could stay on the floor in 2023-24, starting in nine of 64 appearances. Having made only $2.7 million in the regular season campaign, Saric would be a cost-effective insurance policy for a Knicks team whose frontcourt could look completely different in two months’ time.