Warriors agree to one-year deal with sharpshooting forward

The Warriors and free agent forward Dario Saric have reached an agreement on a one-year contract, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

While Wojnarowski doesn’t specify the financial terms, the Warriors’ cap situation means they’re limited to minimum-salary offers for free agents who weren’t with the team last season. As a seven-year veteran, Saric will earn $2,709,849 on a minimum deal, while Golden State will take on a cap hit of $2,019,706.

Saric missed the entire 2021/22 season due to an ACL tear, but returned to action this past season. He appeared in 37 contests for Phoenix and – following a trade-deadline deal – 20 for Oklahoma City, averaging 6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game with a shooting line of .458/.391/.829.

A 6’10” forward who has made 36.0% of his career three-pointers, Saric is known for his ability to stretch the floor from the frontcourt. In Golden State, he may take on a role similar to the one JaMychal Green played this past year.

The Warriors were named by multiple reporters as Saric’s most likely landing spot in the hours leading up to free agency last week. Marc Stein indicated on Friday that the 29-year-old may have been waiting to see if offers worth more than the veteran’s minimum materialized before agreeing to join Golden State.

With Saric and Draymond Green set to officially sign contracts, the Warriors’ roster count is up to 13 players on standard contracts. That leaves two openings on the 15-man roster and three available two-way slots.

The club may just roll with 14 players on standard deals to open the 2023/24 season for financial and flexibility reasons. Lester Quinones is a good candidate to return in some form — he’s a restricted free agent after being issued a two-way qualifying offer.