Tim Duncan Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Tim Duncan To Play For “Couple” More Years?

April 20th, 2014 at 4:39pm CST by Zachary Links

As the top-seeded Spurs look to bring another championship trophy home, questions persist about how long the current core will be able to stick together. Manu Ginobili has admitted that, at one point, he considered calling it a career after this season and big man Tim Duncan has done the same. However, after today’s game, Duncan told reporters that he only has “a couple more” playoff runs left in him (according to Marc SteIn of ESPN.com on Twitter) which would indicate that this season won’t be his last.

When asked to elaborate, Duncan said that he doesn’t “know what that number” is (link), but “a couple” would indicate that he feels he has at least two seasons left in the tank. The future Hall of Famer will celebrate his 38th birthday on Friday and sounds intent to continue his career through age 40.

Earlier this month, Tony Parker told a French-language website that Duncan and Ginobili would return for another season in 2014/15. Meanwhile, Coach Gregg Popovich, who once said that he’d call it quits when TD does, has walked those comments back.

And-Ones: Buford, Popovich, Chandler

April 15th, 2014 at 11:42pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Spurs GM R.C. Buford is “incredibly happy” in San Antonio and has no intention of leaving even as Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili near retirement age, as Buford tells Grantland’s Zach Lowe (audio link; transcription via Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News). McCarney, in the intro to his transcription, notes that Gregg Popovich has backed away from his assertion a year ago that he’ll retire when Duncan does, referring to Popovich’s remark as merely a joke.

Here are more of tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes:

On the idea that the Knicks might be focusing on the summer 2015 rather than be competitive next season, Tyson Chandler hopes that it isn’t the case: “I definitely don’t want to waste another season….I’m not into wasting seasons. Your time is too short in this league and I want to win a championship, another one” (Marc Berman of the New York Post reports). Berman adds that with his expiring contract and ability to still play at a high level, Chandler could be Phil Jackson‘s number one trading chip this summer.
It appears that soon-to-be restricted free agent Gordon Hayward would like to stay with the Jazz, but he acknowledges that nothing’s certain at this point, notes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Currently without a contract after July, Utah head coach Tyrone Corbin isn’t ready to field questions about his impending future just yet, writes Falk in a separate piece. Corbin elaborated: “I don’t know if that’s a good question to ask right now…I have a lot of evaluating to do that I want to do for myself and figure out what’s my next step.”
The Rockets have recalled Robert Covington and Isaiah Canaan from the D-League, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Melvin Ely‘s contract with the Pelicans runs through next season with non-guaranteed salary, reports Mark Deeks of ShamSports, writing for the Score. The ninth-year veteran’s minimum salary he’d get makes him a trade chip in the same manner that Scotty Hopson is for the Cavs, but Ely comes much more cheaply, as Deeks points out.
Deeks also reports that the Bulls’ deal with Louis Amundson, like teammates Ronnie Brewer and Mike James, covers next season with non-guaranteed salary.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Tony Parker Says Duncan, Ginobili Will Return

April 4th, 2014 at 9:25am CST by Chuck Myron

Tim Duncan has said on multiple occasions over the last two months that he hasn’t decided whether to return for 2014/15, but Tony Parker tells Christophe Brouet of the French website Basket-Infos that he knows that Duncan and Manu Ginobili will play next season (translation via HoopsHype). Ginobili said recently that he’s “pretty sure” he’ll continue his NBA career for another year, so Parker’s statement looks like a reiteration of that.

Parker prefaces his remark by mentioning that Duncan and Ginobili are under contract for next season, so while the point guard is no doubt close to his long-time teammates, he could merely be making an assumption based on their deals with the Spurs. Still, Duncan has a player option for next season, so that’s led to inherent uncertainty. Parker may also merely be attempting to encourage Duncan and Ginobili to return. Gregg Popovich suggested nearly a year ago that he’d retire from coaching whenever Duncan does, so the Big Fundamental’s decision could have an earth-shattering effect on Parker and the rest of the Spurs.

Duncan turns 38 in three weeks, while Ginobili will be 37 in July. Both remain productive players, and the Spurs are as strong as ever, having compiled the league’s best record this season and a 19-game winning streak that ended Thursday night against the Thunder. Parker, Duncan and Ginobili have been teammates since the 2002/03 season, though Parker, who’ll turn 32 in May, is the youngest of the trio by far, and he recently said he plans to play five or six more seasons in the NBA.

Spurs Rumors: Ginobili, Duncan, Spurs

March 24th, 2014 at 8:58pm CST by Zachary Links

A look at the Spurs as they face the Sixers on their home floor tonight..

Manu Ginobili wasn’t sure he’d play both seasons of his two-year deal when he re-signed with the Spurs this summer, but now he’s “pretty sure” he’s going to return for 2014/15, as he tells Sam Amick of USA Today.
When asked if he’d honor his contract through next season, Spurs star Tim Duncan said he’s taking it “game by game,” notes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. Duncan, who turns 38 next month, is averaging 15 PPG and 10 RPG with a career-low PER of 21.1. Even if they’re not his best numbers, it’s clear that the big man still has lots of quality basketball left.
While with the Spurs, Sixers coach Brett Brown watched Gary Neal and Danny Green, among others, thrive in the NBA after leaving Europe. Now, Brown is looking to do the same in Philly, writes Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com. This morning, the Sixers welcomed guard Casper Ware, who just finished up his second consecutive season in Italy.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Odds & Ends: Duncan, Oden, Wizards

February 19th, 2014 at 7:54am CST by Chuck Myron

ESPN analyst and former coach George Karl hears that Tim Duncan is thinking of retiring at season’s end, notes Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News, but Duncan isn’t sure how Karl got that impression. The Big Fundamental says he’s undecided, as he tells reporters, including Express-News scribe Mike Monroe (Twitter link). Fellow Express-News writer Jeff McDonald would be “shocked” if Duncan retired. The sense around the Spurs is that Duncan will keep playing as long as he feels he’s useful, McDonald says, pointing out that the big man is still under contract for next year (Twitter links). Here’s more from the Association:

Greg Oden considered a handful of teams last summer, but it came down to a decision between the Mavs and the Heat, tweets Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Most reports have suggested the Wizards are looking for a backup point guard, but Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times hears they’re seeking a backup who can play both guard positions, suggesting Luke Ridnour as a possibility (Twitter link).
A veteran scout tells Woelfel that he has Creighton forward Doug McDermott No. 6 on his draft board, and Chris Mannix of SI.com examines a polarizing prospect who’s sparked a wide range of opinions in NBA front offices.
The Cavs had discussions with the Lakers about acquiring Chris Kaman, but those talks are no longer active, notes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
Free agent Malcolm Lee hasn’t played since December 2012 because of injury, but he’s about two weeks away from being ready to suit up for a team, USA Today’s Sam Amick tweets.
The Warriors on Tuesday recalled Ognjen Kuzmic from the D-League, the team announced. Kuzmic’s latest stint in Santa Cruz lasted one day.
Some members of the actors union are upset that executive director David White is a candidate for the same position with the National Basketball Players Association, observes Dave McNary of Variety.com.
Lionel Hollins explains the root of his raw feelings from the end of his tenure as Grizzlies coach to Mearl Purvis of WHBQ-TV in Memphis.

Popovich To Leave When Duncan Retires?

April 25th, 2013 at 6:00pm CST by Ryan Raroque

When 37-year-old Tim Duncan decides to retire, you can expect Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich to follow suit, writes Dan McCarney of Spurs Nation. Before last night's Game 2 win against the Lakers, the 64-year old coach told reporters about his commitment to the franchise star's playing career:

“When he doesn’t think he can, he’ll stop. It might be in the middle of a game. I can see him walking off the court saying, ‘Nah, I’m not pulling my weight anymore. I’m gone.’ And he’ll walk. And I’ll be right behind him, like this. No pride, no nothing.”

McCarney adds that Duncan's retirement could still be a few years away, considering the former number one overall pick's return to All-Star form this season. In 69 games, Duncan averaged 17.8 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 2.7 BPG in 30.1 MPG, marking the first time he's reached a 30-minute per game average since the 2009-10 season. His season scoring average represents a progressive two-point improvement each season since 2010-11, and his blocks per game average this year is nearly double the average from last year (1.5) .

Southwest Notes: Mavs, Cousins, Gordon, Duncan

January 3rd, 2013 at 7:26pm CST by Alex Lee

ESPN's Marc Stein was on ESPN Radio in Dallas today to discuss all things Mavericks. The Dallas hosts made note of Stein's positive relationship with Dirk Nowitzki, and pressed him on the power forward's mindset six games into his return. Stein said that, amidst the team's 13-20 start, it will be hard to judge how Nowitzki feels about what has transpired in Dallas until after this offseason when, in theory, the Mavs still have the space and motivation to add a Dwight Howard should he or a player of similar stature be available. So while Dirk will play nice for now, Stein says the activity in Dallas will again be a big storyline this offseason.

Here are some additional Southwest Division notes from Stein and other writers around the league:

Stein adds that a player like DeMarcus Cousins is an ideal target for the Mavericks, given the strength of their organization and pieces to go around him. With Chris Paul content in Los Angeles, Dwight Howard may be the only big chip in play. If the Mavs don't land Howard, Stein says they have to use their cap space by making a trade for a guy with a big contract or a "distressed asset" like Cousins. However, Dallas may not have the assets to land Cousins now, and therefore must hope he is still available come summertime.
In the wake of Eric Gordon sitting out Wednesday night's game against Houston, John Reid of the Times-Picayune writes that Hornets fans should expect to see their team ease the shooting guard back in until he gets back into game shape. Head coach Monty Williams indicated that while Gordon is fully healthy, he has yet to display the physical shape necessary to withstand the grind of the NBA schedule.
With the Spurs in New York, Jim Cavan of the New York Times takes a look at the season and career of Tim Duncan. Duncan sure makes an interesting contrast to the flash and dazzle of Madison Square Garden and the Knicks' big-name roster.

Odds & Ends: Odom, Duncan, Johnson, Blazers

November 11th, 2012 at 10:20pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Sunday evening:

Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes that the Clippers still aren't sure what contributions they can expect from Lamar Odom this season.
Tim Duncan is playing like an MVP candidate this season, says Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News.
David D'Alessandro of the Newark Star-Ledges examines Nets guard Joe Johnson's slow start to the season.
The Trail Blazers have the least productive bench in the league so far, but Chris Haynes of CSNNW.comthinks the team should give their young reserves more playing time so they can develop and improve.
Marc Berman of the New York Post writes that the Knicks' J.R. Smith is an early candidate for Sixth Man of the Year.
Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com has a new mailbag covering various Celtics topics.
Barry Tramel of the Oklahoman is impressed with new Thunder guard Kevin Martin.

No-Trade Clauses In New KG, Duncan Contracts

September 19th, 2012 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

While the NBA's collective bargaining agreement includes certain scenarios in which a team needs a player's approval to trade him, it's rare that an actual no-trade clause is negotiated into a deal. Heading into this summer, only Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki had official no-trade clauses in their contracts.

However, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports, the number of no-trade provisions in the Association doubled this offseason. Deeks tweets that both Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan have no-trade clauses in their new deals with the Celtics and Spurs, respectively. Both players inked three-year contracts this summer, so they can't be included in trades until those deals expire in the summer of 2015 (or 2014, for Duncan, if he declines his third-year player option).

Of course, it's unlikely that either Garnett or Duncan would have been in danger of being moved even without the no-trade provisions. Duncan has been a Spur for his entire career, while Garnett recently reiterated that he intends to retire as a Celtic.

Contract Details: Duncan, Green, De Colo, Diaw

July 26th, 2012 at 8:44am CST by Luke Adams

With the early-July flurry of activity having died down, we have the opportunity now to look back at many of the free agent deals signed earlier this month and see how exactly they'll affect teams' caps for the next few seasons. Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News has the salary details for the handful of contracts signed by the Spurs this month, so let's take a look at what San Antonio will be paying its recent signees….

Tim Duncan will be paid about $9.64MM this season and $10.36MM in year two, with a $10MM player option for 2014/15. As Mark Deeks of ShamSports points out, the salary decrease for the player option seems to violate CBA rules, so depending on how the league views the deal, Duncan could be in line for a pay bump in year three.
Danny Green's deal starts at $3.5MM in year one, with 7.5% annual raises for the next two seasons, for a total of $11,287,500. As we heard from Deeks previously, this contract is fully guaranteed, with no options.
The Spurs signed 2009 draft pick Nando De Colo to a two-year contract worth about $1.4MM in year one and $1.46MM in year two. Since this is larger than a minimum salary, San Antonio presumably used its bi-annual exception to complete the deal.
Boris Diaw will earn $4.5MM in 2012/13 and $4.69MM in 2013/14, bringing the two-year total of his contract to about $9.19MM.
The salary details for Patty Mills, who will earn $1,085,120 this season, were already known, but according to Monroe, Mills' second year (at about $1.13MM) is a team option. Deeks had reported that it was a player option, so hopefully we'll get some clarification on the matter one way or the other.
According to Monroe, the Spurs' total commitments for 2012/13 amount to about $69.13MM, just below the luxury tax threshold.