After two years on the Philadelphia 76ers, Croatian basketball player Dario Šarić has been traded… he is now a new player of the Minnesota Timberwolves!
Dario Šaric has been part of a spectacular exchange between the two clubs. NBA stars Jimmy Butler and Justin Patton will join the 76ers, while Šarić and Robert Covington will head to Minnesota. The team will also get the second pick in the 2022 draft, reports Index.hr on November 10, 2018.
Just a few nights ago, Dario played an excellent game for the 76ers win against the Hornets where he collected 18 points. It’s hard for anyone to believe that his performance against the Hornets would be the last for the team, and that shortly after the final buzzer, he’d be boarding a plane to Minneapolis.
The sometimes harsh world of the NBA forces players to be ready for a move at any moment – and the Šibenik native was dealt with exactly that hand.
A few hours before the 76ers would play against the Grizzlies in Memphis, the General Manager of the 76ers, Elton Brand, approached Dario and said he wouldn’t be playing as he’d been traded to Minnesota. Dario returned to the room, packed, and immediately headed to Minneapolis to join his new team.
“I didn’t know anything about my transfer to another club, and neither did my coach Brett Brown nor my General Manager at the 76ers. Simply, this is how the owners of the clubs came to an agreement and it is my job to play games in a new environment. This is how the NBA league works. I believe that I will quickly succeed there. As I have heard, I should begin with a good status at the Wolves’,” said Šarić.
Dario Šarić came to the NBA league in 2016 from Turkey. He had a great first season on the 76ers, and he was the second rookie in the season.
Šarić played tremendously in his second season in the NBA, and with Philadelphia, he played in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics.
You’ll also be missed, @dariosaric. pic.twitter.com/MxKtkZpBQ6
— The Sixer Sense (@SixerSense) November 10, 2018
The problems began for Šarić, however, at the start of the current season. In the first few games, Dario struggled to catch his form and was increasingly criticized by US journalists. Šarić admitted that his game was not at the required level, and blamed the Croatia national team games over the summer as one of the culprits. Šarić told journalists he would never refuse a call to the national team, but this time he failed to have enough time for rest and preparation.
What awaits Šarić in Minnesota?
A brutal fight for playing time. Coach Tom Thibodeau is unique in that he rarely rotates his players. He’s is also considered a defensive mastermind, Nevertheless, Dario should do just fine in his new environment.
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