Smallwood: Sixers must convince Saric to get on board now

I REMAIN in the camp of believing Dario Saric will play for the Sixers this coming season when he signs a contract to do so.

I still believe the estimated $10 million more in guaranteed money Saric can negotiate into his first contract with the Sixers if he plays in Europe one more season makes too much financial sense to not guide his decision.

However, it is good to see that Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo will aggressively pursue Saric, the 6-10 forward acquired in a trade during the 2014 NBA draft, and see whether he is truly committed to becoming a Sixer now.

"We think this is good timing for (Saric)," Colangelo said on Monday on Comcast's "Breakfast on Broad."

"We hope that he does have a desire to be here."

Colangelo said he and Sixers coach Brett Brown are planning a trip to Europe to meet with Saric and get a clear understanding of his plans.

While the Sixers want to get a better picture of what Saric will do moving forward, Colangelo also needs to make sure the 22-year-old Croatian big man understands that the Sixers' agenda will not be static while waiting for him to join the NBA.

Obviously, this must be a delicate conversation, and it will be a good test of the player-relationship skills that are supposed to be among Colangelo's talents.

Saric, however, must be told that the opportunity for him to establish his role with the Sixers will be optimized if he is in uniform for them this coming season - if not, no promises.

The Sixers already lost two seasons of his development with the team while he played in Turkey. A third isn't in their plans.

Colangelo must emphasize that his priority is to improve the Sixers immediately and that the process will move forward with or without Saric.

Saric, described by scouts as a forward with guard-like skills, has said he intends to come to the Sixers. If he can play power forward for them, it would fill one of the many holes in their roster.

The Sixers need to lay all of the cards on the table to try to seal the deal. Colangelo must make it clear to Saric that this is his chance to jump in on the ground floor with the Sixers.

He also should be clear that, while Saric won't necessarily be out of the picture if he stays in Europe, the dynamics of the Sixers via the draft, free agency and trades will be different next summer from what they are now.

A spot in the rotation, perhaps a starting one, that is there for Saric this coming season won't necessarily be there if he waits until 2017-18 to move to the NBA.

Colangelo must be proactive. The Sixers are like a row of dominoes - each move made will affect the next one.

Saric's decision could impact decisions the Sixers might make concerning big men Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel, should they decide it is necessary to deal one of them for other pieces they need.

If Colangelo knows he has Saric on board and the Sixers win the draft lottery on May 17, it could influence their decision to draft either Louisiana State 6-10 forward Ben Simmons or Duke forward Brandon Ingram.

Before moving forward, Colangelo needs a clear picture of whether he can count on having Saric.

Colangelo, who was hired only in April, does not have the luxury of easing into his position. He must come out swinging.

Whether you were on board with "The Process" initiated by former president of basketball operations Sam Hinkie or skeptical of it, the Sixers committed to it for three straight seasons.

Because Hinkie quit when told he would have to share decision-making powers with Colangelo, we'll never know for sure what moves he might have made, if any.

A sizable portion of Sixers fans still believe Colangelo is the beneficiary of Hinkie's groundwork. They remain skeptical he will successfully utilize the assets presented to him.

If for no other reason than simply to begin to soothe the discontented, Colangelo must hit a couple of first-inning home runs.

There won't be much patience.

Colangelo received the ball 20 seconds into the shot clock, with the expectations to make positive things happen.

Finding out exactly what Saric plans to do will be a huge first step toward that.

@SmallTerp