Brett Brown and Bryan Colangelo (Bryan for the first time) met with Dario Saric in Turkey last week to discuss next season. There’s no deal done, so maybe this is nothing, or maybe there’s a real chance Dario won’t come over this season. From Colangelo:

“The timing of him coming to the NBA is still in question. I believe there’s a desire on both sides to make it happen sooner rather than later. But at the same time, the contract scenario, economics, etc. all plays a part in that decision making. We’ll know soon enough whether it’s going to happen for this particular season. That’s our goal and our desire. I think in the next few weeks we’ll have more clarity…

I don’t think I’m optimistic or pessimistic. I think I’m just neutral right now. I do [have a gut feeling) but I’m not sure I want to reveal it.”

Yea, that’s a lot of words to say absolutely nothing. But let’s revisit the timeline of the whole Dario situation:

  • On draft night in 2014, Saric said it would be two years and then he’d be in Philadelphia:
    • “Yeah, I sign before the Draft because I’m choosing a better option for me to stay two years more in Europe to get more experience, to bring my basketball to another level.I don’t know. I’m choosing before the Draft because I don’t know if someone in Philadelphia choose me because he know I’m no liar, and one day I’ll be back in Philadelphia for sure.”
  • June 2015: The Sixers look into bringing Saric over, but his Efes contract gets in the way.
  • July 2015: Dario re-iterates that he wanted to be a Sixer ASAP but his contract was a stumbling block.
  • November 2015: Dario Saric flat-out says he’s coming to the Sixers next season:
    • “I’m in constant contact with the Sixers, and they wanted me to come this summer, but I couldn’t get out of the contract. Next summer I have a way out, and I’m gonna take it. I’ll try to go out as the Euroleague champion. That’s the dream.”
  • December 2015: Dario says there isn’t an amount of money that could keep him in Turkey.
  • April 2016: Dario tells his Efes teammates that he’s leaving to play for the Sixers.

I understand the money thing is alluring – and to be fair, Colangelo’s quote was more diplomatic than “I don’t think he’s coming” – but if Dario says all of this, reiterates that he’s coming over and over again, and then the tune changes after one meeting with Colangelo, that’s on Bryan.