There's no question that playing in the NBA is not an easy thing to subject your body to, even for those who manage to avoid major injuries throughout the course of their careers. One former Phoenix Suns player who has had it rough recently, partially due to injuries, is Dario Saric.
That's a name that maybe some Suns fans haven't heard in quite some time. Since being traded away from Phoenix at the 2023 trade deadline, Saric has appeared in 100 total games over the course of two and a half seasons, suiting up for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets.
Unfortunately, he's had a bit of a rough go at it lately and it's hard to deny injuries have played a part in that. To understand where Saric is at right now, we should look at where he started. Before playing for the Suns, Dario started out his NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016. He played 81 games in his rookie year then 78 in his second season, which is where he also put up a career-best 14.6 scoring average.
Injuries have taken a toll on Saric's body
It was after his third season and a stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the summer of 2019 when Saric was ultimately dealt to the Suns. Dario ended up playing some of the best basketball of his career while in Phoenix. His first season with the organization was the 2019-20 season where the Suns essentially laid the groundwork for their later success. They went 34-39 in a shortened season and made it clear that they'd be a player in the West playoff picture for years to come.
Saric played a part in helping Phoenix get to that next level with his sharp shooting and playmaking. Unfortunately, it would be during Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Finals where everything would change for him. During that opening frame of the Finals series, Dario ended up tearing his ACL, and that injury kept him out for all of the following season.
Less than a year later, he'd have to undergo meniscus surgery as well. Unfortunately, it was these injuries that started to pile up that clearly had an effect on him. His productivity suffered once he returned to the lineup for the Suns, and then when he moved on elsewhere as well.
As of this past season, Saric played just 16 games for the Nuggets and averaged only 3.5 points per game. Things may not be looking great as of right now, but that says a whole lot more about how rough injuries are as a professional athlete than it does about Dario himself. Here's hoping he can conquer this obstacle and get back to playing at a high level in the NBA once again.