The reigning champions of Panathinaikos this summer they further strengthened their roster and, for this reason, they are still among the most likely candidates to win the Euroleague in 2025. Among the additions made by Ataman to the team, such as Cedi Osman and Lorenzo Brown, there could have also been a very respectable name coming from the NBA. We are talking about the Croatian big man Dario Sariccurrently playing for the Denver Nuggets.
Interviewed by Cosmote TVthe native of Šibenik confirmed the contacts he had with Panathinaikos last summer. After a season spent at Golden State WarriorsSaric was a free agent at the time and didn’t know if he would stay in the NBA. He already had an offer from Denver on his plate, but he hadn’t yet decided whether to stay overseas or return to Europe to get it a greater role within a team.
I didn’t know if I would stay in the NBA or if I would go to Panathinaikos. I didn’t know what to do personally, but the year before (in 2023) the assistant coach of Panathinaikos told me that they wanted me. We had some sort of contact.
The first contact, therefore, dates back to a period prior to the summer of 2024. Panathinaikos has never hidden that they only want to look for great players to add to their team, and the idea Dario Saric was floating in Giannakopoulos’ head even before the signing of the Croatian with Golden State.
The first time the assistant coach told me about it was when we beat Turkey at the Pre-Olympic. He told me ‘We want to bring you back to Europe,’ but I signed with Golden State that year.
This summer Saric signed a biennial of 10.6 million euros with Denver. The big man has a player option available for next year, so he will possibly be able to exit the agreement next summer. Who knows, at that point Panathinaikos might return to the fray, perhaps with another Euroleague trophy in their cupboard.
