National Basketball Association

Revisiting Philadelphia 76ers Dario Saric Trade

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:57 p.m. ET

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Former President Sam Hinkie traded Elfrid Payton for Dario Saric, Orlando’s 2017 top-11 protected first round pick and 2015 second round pick

Dario Saric arriving to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016 was not an accident.

If you have no appreciation for the magic of what Sam Hinkie did for the Philadelphia 76ers, I doubt that I can change your mind with one article. However, even if you do not applaud the results on the basketball court, even the most cynical detractor has to be somewhat amazed and awestruck at the complexity and deftness of Hinkie’s approach to an NBA Draft.

While NBA teams treat the draft like a drive up window, Hinkie used it like a grocery store: buying ingredients to a exquisite banquet. One draft set up Hinkie’s hand in the next draft. Always with an eye to tomorrow, he used the value of the draft like an investor in a hedge fund, always doubling down, playing with house money, and walking away with an even stronger hand the following year.

The ultimate result is the arrival of Dario Saric to the roster this season. In just two preseason games, he has scored 24 points, brought in 10 rebounds, dished two assists, and one steal. He is shooting 69.2 percent from the floor and 66.7% from three point range. In short, he’s NBA ready.

But his journey is a tale unto itself. Much like the magic of Joel Embiid‘s journey to the NBA, it began with a vision from Sam Hinkie, and a process we have all come to trust.

Nov 2, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie prior to a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Doubling Down Draft

It began with the Jrue Holiday trade in the 2013 NBA Draft. The Philadelphia 76ers traded Holiday and second round pick Pierre Jackson to the New Orleans Pelicans for their sixth pick of the 2013 NBA Draft Nerlens Noel, and a top five protected first round pick in the 2014 draft. At the time, many considered the move simply a surrender. The pundits interpreted the trade of Jrue Holiday as the disassemble of a competitive team. But the truth was that it was a move that gave poker-faced Sam Hinkie his stake for the next draft.

More from The Sixer Sense

In the 2014 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers held the tenth pick, the pick gleaned from the Pelicans the previous year. At that pick, the Philadelphia 76ers chose Louisianna-Lafayette point guard Eldrid Payton. The move was surprising in that the team held Michael Carter-Williams at that position, and had just earned rookie of the year.

But Hinkie was aware of the Orlando Magic’s interest in Payton, and just two picks later with just 30 seconds remaining on the clock, managed to reach an agreement to send Payton to the Magic for the Magic’s twelfth pick, power forward Dario Saric, the 2017 first round pick that the 76ers had given in the Andrew Bynum trade, and a 2015 second round pick, which would be used to select power forward Richaun Holmes.

Actually, imagine trading Dario Saric, Richaun Holmes* and a first-round pick for Elfrid Payton https://t.co/QkhVKnwCf9

— Don Yates (@DonYatesNBA) October 7, 2016

The trade, like many exchanges brokered by Hinkie, was complex and needed to be unwrapped to fully understand the intricacies and value of the deal.

Feb 10, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie prior to a game against the Sacramento Kings at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Aftermath, or Armageddon

While the Philadelphia 76ers sat and waited for the results of the trade for two years, Hinkie’s detractors had no such time frame nor patience.

@Dweebowitz Could be smart, Hinkie did very well with the Payton/Saric trade-down, both in terms of mechanics and return.

— Ryan Kelly (@ryankelly) February 16, 2016

Even supporters shook nervously at the high risk high reward move.

Still others just scratched their heads trying to make sense of it all:

In the end, it was an excellent article at Liberty Ballers written by Michael Levin that unfurled the glory of Sam Hinkie’s banner, revealing the delicate skill that seemed to accompany his NBA transactions. To sum it all up, Hinkie moved back just two spots, ended up with a player he coveted, picked up a first round pick (neutralizing a crippling bad trade from his predecessor) and a second round pick.

Sep 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Dario Saric (9) shoots around during media day at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Last Laugh

He who laughs last, laughs best. But Sam Hinkie is no longer with the Philadelphia 76ers. His unorthodox methods of looking further ahead than others in the room are unwelcome in today’s NBA.

But his legacy lives on. He converted a team short of prospects into a fertile future. He ruffled feathers along the way, but mainly from winning at virtually every NBA trade he made. Let’s reexamine the talent tree of the exchanges involving Dario Saric to the Philadelphia 76ers.

What We Gave:

We traded Elfrid Payton to the Orlando magic.
Payton is a two year veteran point guard of the Magic. He averages 29.9 minutes per game, 66 starts out of 78 games played per year. He averages 9.7 points, 6.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and .3 blocks per game. His shooting accuracy is 43 percent from the floor, 30.6 percent from the perimeter, and 56.9 percent from the free throw line.

Compensation for giving away Elfrid Payton took time to arrive. At the end of the night in 2014, the Orlando Magic walked away with a rookie point guard. He was a tangible prospect who was immediately available and countable. As such, all was well with the myopic standards of the NBA.

But Philadelphia’s return would be spread over the next three years and would be theoretical. That intangible quality would be interpreted as “Tankadelphia”. But two of the pieces have arrived now, so it’s only fair to recast the comparison of value.

Oct 6, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Richaun Holmes (22) in action against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Hinkie’s Buried Treasures

What We Received:

We received (in ascending order):

We restored our 2017 first round pick (top 11 protected)

2015 second round pick selecting power forward RIchaun Holmes
Holmes is a returning one year veteran who is erupting so far this preseason. In just two games, he has scored 30 points, pulled down 16 rebounds, dished out three assists, picked four steals, and has been shooting 60 percent from the floor and 100% from the foul line. Best of all, Holmes has shown versatility in playing both power forward and center so far this year.

2014 first round pick (two years delayed) power forward Dario Saric
Saric was the coveted player in the exchange. While the two-year wait tested the patience of many, it has certainly seemed to be placed to good use. Saric has arrived to the league NBA-ready. In his two games starting at power forward, he has scored 24 points, hauled in 10 rebounds, dished out two assists and picked one steal. But most impressively, his shooting accuracy form the floor (69.2 percent), three-point range (66.7%) and foul line (100%) are better than anyone could have hoped for.

Value we have yet to enjoy
If the Philadelphia 76ers first round pick of any of the next three years falls to 12 or lower, that pick would have been claimed by the Orlando Magic. Thankfully, that is no longer the case.

In the end, nobody is asking for applause for Hinkie’s moves. There is not even a need to give him credit now that the team and Sam Hinkie have parted ways. But what we should do is respect the man who took high risk moves that paid off with high rewards. This trade was torn apart in 2014 and 2015 as an example of a general manager tanking a professional team.

I now hold this trade up to the reader in a new light. Saric, Holmes, and a 2017 first round pick who very likely will start in the NBA, all to move back two spots in the 2014 NBA Draft. Did the Philadelphia 76ers win that deal?

Don’t ask me. Ask the Orlando Sentinel article of June 29, 2014 by Josh Robbins.

From Orlando’s perspective, the move could turn out to be a blunder. If Payton turns out to be a bust and Dario Saric turns out to be a star after Saric exits his contract overseas, then the Magic will kick themselves.

If you hear a thud, it’s likely the sound of the Magic front office kicking themselves. When you get a chance, log onto twitter and tell @SamHinkie thanks from all of us here at The Sixer Sense. He deserves some gratitude.

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