The NBA is known to be ruthless when it comes to various social protocols we have as a society. Most notably, the league operates under a “business first” mentality, where there is no room for emotion. Players are often viewed as financial assets, instead of regular human beings, which can lead to significant psychological distress.
Throughout the league’s history, especially in the modern era, many players have experienced this type of “professional trauma” due to constant scrutiny and the more public nature of management decisions.
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Even the biggest names in the sport can receive the cold shoulder from the league, which can crush them mentally, as seen in the recent case of Luka Doncic‘s groundbreaking trade from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers.
While cases involving high-profile players are well documented, the situation is significantly worse for “blue-collar players,” who are constantly in a mindset of keeping their jobs safe. For former NBA player Dario Saric, his experience of the last few years in the league highlights this case to the highest degree.
“The trade from Denver happened, and I was in talks with the Sacramento Kings. ‘We want you, come here, we plan on playing a traditional big ball lineup. We want you this year.’ Well, I understand I can’t play in Denver, which is one of the top three teams. But in Sacramento? You know, they’re always here, but never there. I say, I’m going to give them a chance, after all, they’re the ones calling me,” Saric explained.
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“So, I talked to the GM, and immediately, I went from the beach here in Sibenik [his hometown in Croatia], and got on the plane, got to San Francisco, did the physical, and flew right back. They didn’t want me to do a physical anywhere else, like Germany, or anywhere in Croatia,” he added.
Saric didn’t want to miss his last opportunity
After his physical, Saric flew right back to Croatia to prepare with his national team for the qualifications for the FIBA World Cup. After he was done, he returned to the States to get in the mode for the season.
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“Training camp starts somewhere like September 29th, and I’m already there on August 25th. The other three rookies and I are the only ones there. I’m in the mindset of getting prepared for the season. I’m training every day, not relaxing a bit, not missing any of the practices. Meanwhile, my second child was born, but I still made it to practice the next day. I didn’t want to miss my opportunity. I’m here so that [the coach] sees me,” Saric said.
“As training camp and the preseason were going on, I saw the writing on the wall. I didn’t play the first preseason game. I think he’ll maybe play me in the next game. Understandably, the young guys got some playing time. I, on the other hand, get four to five minutes in two games I played. Of course, I can’t shoot much because there are 12 players on the roster, where some of those are very big names, whom you can’t just play 17 or 18 minutes,” he added.
Still, a lot can change in a long 82-game season, but for Saric, that wasn’t the case. Dario had to make do with the few and far-between opportunities he was given, something he hadn’t been made aware of by management, nor was it reflected in what he had shown well before the season started.
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Saric’s NBA exit left a sour taste in his mouth
Due to their history and lack of trust in the franchise, the Kings weren’t expected to make any noise in this season. While they had impactful, well-known players on the roster, including Russell Westbrook, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis, the team’s overall structure was messy and out of proportion.
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“After some time in the season, Sacramento is losing a lot. You would think that there would be some adjustments as more games are being played, especially in the NBA, where games are played every night, and you can give other players an opportunity. I, so to speak, don’t get that chance. After two and a half months, I got in the game against Portland, where I got elbowed and got stitches mid-game, and that’s it. Then, the trade to Chicago happens,” said Saric.
“At first, I talked to the GM, who said I should come and that they want me, before they would trade me three days later to Detroit. Detroit were the only honest ones because they immediately said they didn’t want me and were going to buy me out. It’s better that way, so that I know right away. I’m a 32-year-old man with two kids, so you can keep it straight with me.”
After his buyout, Saric returned home to Croatia, where he prepared for the next round of qualifications for the FIBA World Cup against Germany, with the two games split between the two nations.
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As he awaits his call-up from some teams in Europe, Saric stressed how his NBA career is most likely over. In his 10 years in the league, he played for the Philadelphia 76ers – where he had his most impactful years, finishing as a runner-up behind Malcolm Brogdon for the Rookie of the Year award in 2017 – as well as the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Phoenix Suns, the Golden State Warriors, the Denver Nuggets and the Kings.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.