Dario Saric says he still plans to join Sixers this summer

One of the most controversial days of polarizing Sixers GM Sam Hinkie’s career was the 2014 draft, when he took two players in the lottery who weren’t able to help them that season. One was Joel Embiid, who has yet to play in an NBA game dealing with repeated foot injuries. The other was Croatian forward Dario Saric, who was still committed to playing at least two more years overseas. Some good news for Hinkie and for Sixers fans: Saric confirmed in a recent interview that he plans on leaving his Turkish club this summer to join the team.

From an interview with Slam N’ Roll as translated by Sportando:

“I’m always in touch with the people of Philadelphia, I always talk with GM Sam Hinkie and coach Brett Brown,” Saric said. “We talk about a lot of things that have to do with me and the 76ers. Before I was drafted, I promised to Efes that I will come here for two years and of course I promised to Philadelphia that after these period of time, I will go to them. It is a certain procedure that I feel I have to pass through.”

The Sixers are in a period of transition, with the recent hires of Jerry Colangelo and Mike D’Antoni signaling a shift away from the all-out tanking of the first two-plus years of the Hinkie era. If Saric does indeed come over, and he’s as good as he’s supposed to be, it will accelerate their rebuild significantly.