Golden State Warriors fans were shocked to learn of a potential reunion between the franchise and former big man Dario Saric on Wednesday night, though for now it appears the veteran's future is tied up much more in his initial move to the Sacramento Kings.
Saric was traded to the Kings earlier in the week, with the Denver Nuggets receiving Jonas Valancuinas in a savvy move from the 2023 NBA champions that's given them a certified proven backup to Nikola Jokic.
Veteran big man Jonas Valancuinas may be headed back to Europe
However, after years trying to find a quality backup to the 3x NBA MVP, the Nuggets may still have to look a little further after reports that Valancuinas has interest in returning to Europe and has a strong offer on the table from Panathinaikos in Greece, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer.
This complication could have impacted the trade between the Kings and Nuggets which can't become official until July 6, and therefore ruin any chance of Sacramento trying to move Saric onto Golden State.
Yet Fischer and Marc Stein report that the trade won't be impacted by what ultimatelty happens with Valancuinas, meaning Saric will make his way to the Kings as expected.
In short …
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 3, 2025
1. The Sacramento/Denver swap of big men remains on course to go ahead as planned Sunday.
2. The Nuggets continue to lobby Valanciunas to stay in the NBA once the trade is made official rather than push for a buyout to return to Europe. https://t.co/9KTOAQM0W2
Shock reports emerged late on Wednesday from Ali Thanawalla and Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports, with the potential of a three-team trade that would land Malik Monk with the Detroit Pistons, Kuminga and Dennis Schroder with the Kings, and Saric, Devin Carter and two second-round picks with the Warriors.
Golden State fans were understandably baffled by the report linking the franchise to a reunion with Saric, particularly as part of a Kuminga sign-and-trade which appeared like horrific value for the former seventh overall pick.
Even those not high on Kuminga would understand he's worth far more than Saric, Carter and two second-round picks, with the potential trade seemingly not materializing as Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported that "there’s nothing near the finish line on the Jonathan Kuminga front."
Saric played one year for the Warriors in 2023-24 on a minimum contract, averaging 8.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists in his 17.2 minutes per game. While those numbers are solid enough, significant defensive issues saw him appear in just five of the last 21 games in the regular season.
The 31-year-old strangely got a two-year, $10.6 contract with the Nuggets last offseason, but played just 16 games and 210 total minutes for the franchise including being a DNP in all 13 of Denver's playoff games this year.