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Dario Šarić

From Alfawiki
Dario Šarić
Born (1994-04-08) April 8, 1994 (age 32)
Croatia
OccupationProfessional basketball player
Years active2009–present
Known forPlaying for multiple NBA teams and the Croatian national team

Dario Šarić (; born 8 April 1994) is a Croatian professional basketball athlete currently playing for the Sacramento Kings in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Selected as the 12th pick in the 2014 NBA draft, Šarić also competes internationally for the senior Croatia national team. He launched his NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016, spending two seasons there before being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. After one year with Minnesota, he was moved to the Phoenix Suns in 2019, where he remained for four seasons. At the 2023 trade deadline, Šarić was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and subsequently signed with the Golden State Warriors during the following offseason. His NBA journey also includes time with the Denver Nuggets.

Early years

Šarić's professional journey began in 2009 when he joined Zrinjevac. Midway through the 2009–10 season, he transferred to Zagreb, and spent much of 2010–11 on loan at Dubrava. In May 2011, alongside teammates Mario Hezonja and Dominik Mavra, Šarić led his squad to victory at the Città di Roma EuroLeague (IJT). He propelled his team into the Final Four and ultimately secured the championship. In the final game, he achieved a triple-double with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists, drawing 10 fouls as well, which earned him MVP recognition.

Šarić received nominations for the FIBA Europe Young Player of the Year Award in both 2010 and 2011.

In 2012, he was again selected for the World Team at the Nike Hoop Summit held in Portland, Oregon. The international team defeated their US counterparts, with Šarić contributing significantly by scoring 13 points, leading in rebounds with 14, and providing five assists.

Šarić signed a contract with Bilbao Basket in 2012 and was loaned to Split. However, due to a FIBA-imposed sanction requiring Bilbao to pay a €550,000 buyout fee, he never officially signed with Bilbao. While training with Split, he did not participate in any official matches.

Cibona Zagreb (2012–2014)

In November 2012, Šarić committed to a four-year deal with Croatian club Cibona. That same year, he was once again nominated for the FIBA Europe Young Men's Player of the Year Award, finishing as runner-up.

Šarić initially entered his name for the 2013 NBA draft on 4 April 2013 but withdrew shortly afterward to continue his development with Cibona. He declared once more on 14 April but ultimately chose to withdraw again to gain additional experience competing in Europe.

During 2013, Šarić helped Cibona capture both the Croatian National Cup and the Croatian League titles. His performance earned him MVP honors in the finals. In February 2014, he was awarded the title of 2013 FIBA Europe Young Player of the Year.

By April 2014, Šarić had been named to the ideal team and honored as MVP of the Adriatic League, posting averages of 16.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists throughout the regular season of the ABA League. Cibona secured the league championship at the Final Four event where Šarić received Final Four MVP accolades. Additionally, he earned recognition as the ABA League Top Prospect for that season.

Anadolu Efes (2014–2016)

On 24 June 2014, Šarić committed to a 2+1 year deal with the Turkish club Anadolu Efes, with Cibona receiving a buyout fee of US$1.2 million. This agreement was finalized shortly before the 2014 NBA draft, during which the Orlando Magic selected him as the 12th overall pick but subsequently traded his rights to the Philadelphia 76ers.

At the outset of the 2014–15 season, Šarić's father publicly expressed dissatisfaction with Anadolu Efes head coach Dušan Ivković for not playing Dario in Turkish Super League matches, even threatening to terminate the contract if the situation remained unchanged. Nevertheless, Šarić earned the EuroLeague MVP of the Month accolade in November 2014, becoming the youngest player to receive this distinction by averaging 15.5 points and 7.8 rebounds across four games.

In January 2015, he was honored for the second year running as the 2014 FIBA Europe Young Men's Player of the Year. Anadolu Efes progressed to the EuroLeague quarterfinals but were defeated by Real Madrid with a series score of 3–1. Over 27 EuroLeague appearances that season, Šarić posted averages of 9.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. By May 2016, he secured second place once more in the EuroLeague Rising Star voting.

Philadelphia 76ers (2016–2018)

Šarić signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on 15 July 2016. In just his third NBA appearance on 1 November, he tallied 21 points during a narrow 103–101 loss to the Orlando Magic. He replicated this scoring output on 3 December in a close 107–106 defeat against the Boston Celtics. On 9 February 2017, Šarić delivered a season-high of 26 points in a tight 112–111 victory over Orlando. He took part in the Rising Stars Challenge at the All-Star Weekend and earned recognition as the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for February. On 9 March, he scored 28 points in an overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, then surpassed his personal best by scoring 29 points on 12 March in a win against the Los Angeles Lakers. He went on to achieve a new career peak with 32 points on 24 March versus the Chicago Bulls. Šarić received Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors again in March and was selected for the NBA All-Rookie First Team, finishing as runner-up in the Rookie of the Year race behind Malcolm Brogdon.

On 7 November 2017, Šarić posted a season-best performance with 25 points during a victory over the Utah Jazz, contributing to Philadelphia's fifth consecutive win—their longest streak since the 2011–12 season. He scored 27 points on 18 December and narrowly missed a triple-double three days later by recording 18 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists against the Toronto Raptors. Šarić matched his season-high with another 27-point effort on 31 December facing the Phoenix Suns.

During All-Star Weekend 2018, Šarić was once again selected for the Rising Stars Challenge, joining teammates Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons on the World squad.

In Game 4 of Philadelphia’s second-round playoff series against Boston, Šarić led his team with a total of 25 points in a decisive 103–92 win that reduced their series deficit to 3–1. Despite delivering an impressive performance with 27 points and 10 rebounds in Game 5, the Sixers fell short with a close loss of 114–112 and were subsequently eliminated from contention.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2018–2019)

On 12 November 2018, Šarić was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves along with Jerryd Bayless, Robert Covington, and a 2022 second-round draft pick in exchange for Jimmy Butler and Justin Patton. He made his debut two days later, contributing nine points in 20 minutes off the bench during a 107–100 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. On 24 November, he posted 19 points and 14 rebounds in a 111–96 triumph against the Chicago Bulls.

Šarić voiced his displeasure with coming off the bench, expressing a preference to be a starter. Despite a short period as part of the starting lineup, his role as a starter remained limited.

Phoenix Suns (2019–2023)

On 6 July 2019, Šarić was traded to the Phoenix Suns along with the draft rights to Cameron Johnson in exchange for the draft rights to Jarrett Culver, finalizing a draft-day transaction. On 24 November, he achieved 18 points and a career-best 17 rebounds in a loss to the Denver Nuggets, then matched the rebound total with 19 points during an overtime defeat to the San Antonio Spurs on 14 December.

Following the scrimmages in the 2020 NBA Bubble, Šarić lost his starting position to Cameron Johnson but returned as a starter on 10 August, recording 16 points and nine rebounds in a commanding 128–101 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Suns completed their bubble games undefeated with an 8–0 record.

Due to his impressive contributions both as a starter and coming off the bench, Šarić secured a three-year contract extension with Phoenix on 28 November 2020. In January 2021, he tested positive for COVID-19, causing him to miss four games; he then remained sidelined for nearly a month due to leg injuries. Šarić made his return on 13 February against the Philadelphia 76ers. On 2 March, he led the Suns off the bench with a season-high of 21 points in a victory over the reigning champions, the Los Angeles Lakers.

During Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Finals on 6 July, Šarić suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee and was ruled out indefinitely. The Suns eventually lost the series in six games. He underwent ACL reconstruction surgery in August 2021 and missed the entire 2021–22 NBA season.

On May 5, 2022, Šarić had meniscus surgery and was again sidelined indefinitely but made his return at the beginning of the 2022–23 season.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2023)

Šarić was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 9, 2023, along with a 2029 second-round pick and cash considerations in exchange for Darius Bazley. He debuted for Oklahoma City on February 15, contributing 12 points and five rebounds in a decisive 133–96 win over the Houston Rockets.

Golden State Warriors (2023–2024)

On July 12, 2023, Šarić signed with the Golden State Warriors.

Denver Nuggets (2024–2025)

Šarić joined the Denver Nuggets by signing on July 12, 2024.

Sacramento Kings (2025–present)

On July 13, 2025, Šarić was traded to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Jonas Valančiūnas.

National team career

Šarić first gained prominence as MVP at the 2010 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship, where he led all players in scoring (24.3 points per game), rebounding (11.5 per game), and ranked second in assists (5.8 per game). In the final, he recorded a triple-double of 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, becoming only the second player to achieve such a feat at this competition level.

He earned gold with Croatia's Under-18 squad at the 2012 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship, leading scorers with an average of 25.6 points per game and finishing second in rebounds at 10.1 per game. His outstanding performance included scoring 39 points in the final against Lithuania, securing unanimous MVP honors.

At senior international competitions, Šarić debuted at EuroBasket 2013, averaging 5.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest. His impact grew during the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, where he averaged 11.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists despite sustaining a significant injury during Croatia’s game against Argentina.

Šarić also participated in EuroBasket 2015, where Croatia was eliminated in the round of sixteen; over six games he averaged 9.7 points and grabbed 6.3 rebounds per outing. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, he posted averages of 11.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists before Croatia exited at the quarter-final stage.

Continuing his international tenure, Šarić played at EuroBasket 2017, averaging career-best numbers of 14.8 points and 6.7 rebounds across five games before Croatia’s round-of-16 loss to Russia. After recovering from meniscus surgery, he returned to represent Croatia at EuroBasket 2022.

Personal life

Šarić was born with a congenital cleft lip. He is the offspring of basketball athletes Predrag and Veselinka Šarić. Among his monikers are The Homie, Super Dario, and Šiši (pronounced "shi-shi").

In 2018, Šarić revealed plans for a documentary centered on his journey, entitled Always the Same, which premiered on March 1, 2020.

He has expressed that sharks rank as his preferred animal. Šarić also keeps in touch with former Philadelphia 76ers teammates Furkan Korkmaz and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia | 81 || 36 || 26.3 || .411 || .311 || .782 || 6.3 || 2.2 || .4 || .7 || 12.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia | 78 || 73 || 29.6 || .453 || .393 || .860 || 6.7 || 2.6 || .3 || .7 || 14.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"rowspan=2| | style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia | 13 || 13 || 30.5 || .364 || .300 || .900 || 6.6 || 2.0 || .2 || .3 || 11.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| Minnesota | 68 || 28 || 23.9 || .454 || .383 || .875 || 5.5 || 1.5 || .6 || .1 || 10.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 66 || 51 || 24.7 || .476 || .357 || .844 || 6.2 || 1.9 || .6 || .2 || 10.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 50 || 4 || 17.4 || .447 || .348 || .848 || 3.8 || 1.3 || .6 || .1 || 8.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"rowspan=2| | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 37 || 12 || 14.4 || .427 || .391 || .818 || 3.8 || 1.5 || .4 || .1 || 5.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma City | 20 || 0 || 13.7 || .515 || .391|| .844||3.3|| .9|| .4|| .1||7.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 

| style="text-align:left;" | Golden State
|64||9||17.2||.466||.376||.849||4.4||2.3||.5||.2||8.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | 
| style="text-align:left;" | Denver
|16||4||13.1||.362||.269||.700||3.1||1.4||.4||.1||3.5

|- class="sortbottom" 

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career
|493||230||22.5||.444||.360||.837||5.3||1.9||.6||.2||10.4


Playoffs

|-
| style="text-align:left;" | 2018
| style="text-align:left;" | Philadelphia
|10||10|||32.9|||.421|||.385|||.850|||7.3|||3.5|||1.0|||.4|||17.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | 2021
| style="text-align:left;" | Phoenix
|14||0||10.5||.467|||.444|||.929|||2.5|||1.0|||0..1|||0..1|||4..5
|- class"sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career
|24||10||19..8||..432||..400||..870||4..5||2..0||..5||..2||9..8

EuroLeague

2011–12 Euroleague KK Zagreb 4 3 15.0 200 167 500 45 05 03 20 08
2014–15 Euroleague Anadolu Efes 27 22 24.4 433 306 707 64 23 07 04 9.9 12.6
2015–16 Euroleague Anadolu Efes 24 18 22.4 500 403 939 58 15 05 05 11.7 13.5 
Career
55 43 22.9 457 350 783 60 18 06 04 10.1 12.1

Team Achievements

Youth Level
Professional Level

Personal Accolades

Youth Distinctions
Professional Distinctions

See also

External links

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