Father: Dario Saric unhappy with benching by Turkish team
Philadelphia 76ers draft pick Dario Saric is unhappy with his recent benching by Turkish club team Anadolu Efes, his father told Croatian newspaper Jutarnjii.
Saric has not played due to a coach's decision in Anadolu's first two games of the regular season. Turkish league rules stipulate that just six foreign players may be used in a game, and head coach Ivkovic Dusan has opted to go with other players so far.
Predrag Saric said his son is "depressed" and that if he continues to not receive playing time, the family would look for someone to can pay the necessary buyout to let Saric out of his contract.
It's unclear if Saric's father means they would look to bring Saric immediately to the NBA or instead have him play for another European team. At the time Saric was drafted, he and the 76ers said they planned for Saric to play in Europe for one season before going to the NBA.
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Last month, 76ers coach Brett Brown told EuroHoops.net that Saric is capable of playing in the NBA "right now."
Saric, a 6-foot-10 forward from Croatia, has played professionally since 2009. He was the No. 12 pick in this year's NBA draft. The 20-year-old was selected by the Orlando Magic but traded to Philadelphia for No. 10 pick Elfrid Payton.
Saric played in six games for Croatia at this summer's FIBA World Cup, averaging 11.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in 26.2 minutes.
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