Report: Sixers pushing to lure Dario Saric away from Turkish league

The Philadelphia 76ers are looking to bring their prized international prospect to the United States.

According to David Pick of Basketball Insiders, the Sixers are pushing hard for Dario Saric to relocate, but that might prove difficult.

The Sixers acquired the Croatian swingman from the Orlando Magic on draft night last summer. Saric was picked 12th overall, but spent the season playing for Anadolu Efes of the Turkish Basketball League.

He captured his second consecutive FIBA Europe Young Men's Player of the Year award this season, narrowly edging out Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 21-year-old posted per-36 minute averages of 14.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 27 Euroleague games with Efes.

His play drew rave reviews from FIBA Europe regional director Kamil Novak.

Dario Saric has been at the forefront of the men's game in Europe already for some time now, so it is easy to forget that he is still only 20 years old. I have been watching his development for some time and I am sure I have only witnessed the beginnings of what is set to be a remarkable career.

The trouble, however, is that the Sixers can only contribute $625,000 towards a buyout. Anadolu Efes will likely ask for more than $2 million to release Saric from his contract, which runs through 2016, reports Jake Fischer of Liberty Ballers.

The difference would have to be made up by Saric, and given that his rookie deal will see him earn under $2 million in 2015-16, that would mean sacrificing over 75 percent of his salary to facilitate the buyout. With that in mind, a move this summer seems unlikely.

But, for the time being, Sixers fans can continue to salivate over Saric's international highlights. At this point, the entire Sixers franchise has basically become a case study for the famed Stanford Marshmallow Experiment, with all its trade-offs between present patience and future reward.

-with h/t to Hoops Rumors