Calling it an “easy decision” to continue his career for at least one more year, Manu Ginobili admitted that the 76ers made a big push to sign him. As Fran Blinebury of NBA.com details, Ginobili praised Philadelphia head coach Brett Brown and called the Sixers’ interest “flattering,” but was happy to return to the Spurs.
“I wasn’t sure how important I was going to be for the Spurs,” Ginobili said. “Once the talks started to go one and the Spurs showed great interest and really wanted me back, of course I wanted back, too. Then I made the decision. At the beginning I was very flattered and honored because it was a coach I appreciated and respected a lot and it made me feel really well.”
Here’s more from around the Southwest division:
- Pelicans general manager Dell Demps admitted that his team will “have to make a hard decision in the coming weeks,” with 15 guaranteed salaries on the books already and Lance Stephenson also vying for a roster spot. “The key is not going to be who’s the best player,” Demps said, per Justin Verrier of ESPN.com (Twitter link), “but the key’s going to be who’s the best player for us to be a good team.”
- The decision on the Grizzlies‘ backup point guard will be one of the first real tests for new head coach David Fizdale, writes Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commerical Appeal. Andrew Harrison and Wade Baldwin are battling for minutes behind Mike Conley.
- In a conversation with Oliver Maroney of Basketball Insiders, Justin Anderson weighed in on the Mavericks‘ offseason additions, noting that Harrison Barnes has already had an impact on him and helped him improve his game.