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2018 Offseason In Review: San Antonio Spurs

October 4th, 2018 at 11:35am CST by Arthur Hill

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2018 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2018/19 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the San Antonio Spurs.

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Davis Bertans: Two years, $14MM. Includes unlikely incentives. Re-signed using Early Bird rights.
- Marco Belinelli: Two years, $12MM. Signed using mid-level exception.
- Rudy Gay: One year, $10.09MM. Re-signed using Non-Bird rights.
- Bryn Forbes: Two years, $6MM. Re-signed using Early Bird rights.
- Dante Cunningham: One year, $2.49MM. Signed using bi-annual exception.
Two-way contracts:
- Drew Eubanks
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Quincy Pondexter: One year, minimum salary. $150K partial guarantee.
- Nick Johnson: One year, minimum salary.
- Okaro White: One year, minimum salary.
- Note: Amida Brimah and Julian Washburn signed non-guaranteed camp contracts, but were later waived.

Trades:

Acquired DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and the Raptors’ 2019 first-round pick (top-20 protected) from the Raptors in exchange for Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, and cash ($5MM).

Draft picks:

1-18: Lonnie Walker — Signed to rookie contract.
2-49: Chimezie Metu — Signed to three-year, $3.92MM contract. First two years guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.

Draft-and-stash signings:

Jaron Blossomgame (2017 draft; No. 59): Signed to one-year, minimum salary contract. Non-guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Note: Olivier Hanlan (2015 draft; No. 42) also signed a one-year, non-guaranteed, minimum salary contract, but was later waived.

Departing players:

Kyle Anderson (declined to match offer sheet)
Matt Costello (two-way)
Manu Ginobili (retired)
Danny Green
Darrun Hilliard (two-way)
Joffrey Lauvergne
Kawhi Leonard
Tony Parker
Brandon Paul (waived)

Other offseason news:

Exercised 2019/20 team options on Dejounte Murray, Jakob Poeltl, and Derrick White.
Promoted assistant coach Becky Hammon to front of bench to replace James Borrego.
Hired former NBA players Brent Barry and Darius Songaila to front office positions.
Reached jersey sponsorship deal with Frost Bank.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $121.2MM in guaranteed salaries.
Hard-capped at $129.82MM.
$1.65MM of mid-level exception still available ($6.99MM used on Marco Belinelli and Chimezie Metu).
$895K of bi-annual exception still available ($2.49MM used on Dante Cunningham).

Check out the San Antonio Spurs’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

The power struggle between Kawhi Leonard and Spurs management got uglier as last season went along and ended with a separation over the summer. Leonard was sent to the Raptors in July in a deal that brought All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl in return.

It was a disappointing end in San Antonio for Leonard, who was once anointed as the player to keep the Spurs’ winning tradition alive once Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker had retired. Instead, at age 27, Leonard is likely to have his best seasons elsewhere, whether that’s in Toronto or another city after he enters free agency next summer.

Leonard’s dispute with the Spurs started with a quad injury that lingered throughout the summer of 2017 and into the start of the regular season. The team expected Leonard to return to action once he was cleared by the medical staff, but he claimed he was still in too much pain to play and consulted with private physicians who backed up his claims.

Leonard wound up playing just nine games last year, leaving a huge hole in the lineup for San Antonio following a near-MVP season. The Spurs struggled to earn the seventh seed, then were quickly dispatched in the first round. Leonard didn’t show up to support his teammates in the postseason, which heightened tensions between him and the organization. He informed team officials that he wouldn’t re-sign once he reached free agency, which left the Spurs with no choice other than to trade him.

Key offseason losses:

It’s hard to imagine a Spurs team without Ginobili and Parker, but neither was on the roster as San Antonio opened camp. After considering retirement for several seasons, Ginobili finally decided it was time at age 41. Although coach Gregg Popovich tried to talk him into another season, Ginobili said he didn’t have the desire to face another difficult 82-game season. A member of four NBA title teams, Ginobili leaves San Antonio as one of the most popular players in franchise history.

Parker is also gone, but not to retirement. After 17 seasons with the Spurs, the point guard accepted a two-year deal with the Hornets, where he expects to have a better shot at playing time. Parker is accompanying former Spurs assistant James Borrego, who was hired over the summer as the new head coach in Charlotte.

Another important loss was Kyle Anderson, who had a breakthrough season last year after taking Leonard’s spot in the starting lineup. Anderson turned that into a four-year, $37.2MM offer sheet from the Grizzlies, which the Spurs elected not to match. Shooting guard Danny Green, another member of the championship era, was shipped to the Raptors as part of the Leonard trade.

Key offseason additions:

After years of success with home-grown talent, the Spurs’ top player is now an outsider. DeRozan spent nine years in Toronto, made four All-Star appearances and just signed an extension in 2016. He will be counted on to replace the scoring punch that Leonard used to provide. DeRozan has been a consistent 20 PPG scorer for the past five seasons, but the Spurs would like to see him improve from 3-point territory, where he is a career .288 shooter.

The Spurs are also excited about Poeltl, who will bring some youth to a front line that features veterans Pau Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy Gay. The ninth pick in the 2016 draft, Poeltl appeared in all 82 games for Toronto last season, averaging 6.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in a reserve role.

San Antonio also picked up some shooting help over the summer by bringing back Marco Belinelli, who was part of the title-winning team in 2013/14. Belinelli is a productive bench scorer who shot .377 on 3-pointers last season with the Hawks and Sixers.

Outlook for 2018/19:

The loss of Ginobili and Parker means the new era of Spurs basketball has finally arrived, although it’s still shocking that Leonard isn’t part of it. This summer’s roster turnover makes it difficult for San Antonio fans to know what to expect from their team.

The addition of DeRozan will provide perimeter scoring that the Spurs lacked last year. Leonard averaged 25.5 PPG during his last healthy season, and San Antonio didn’t have anyone of that caliber to challenge defenses last year. DeRozan, who averaged a career-best 5.2 assists per game a year ago, also provides another ballhandler and playmaker to the team’s backcourt.

However, replacing Leonard on defense won’t be as easy and the loss of Anderson will only make things more challenging. The addition of free agent Dante Cunningham should help, but the Spurs will eventually need to find a better solution.

San Antonio has the longest-running streak of postseason appearances in the NBA at 21 consecutive years. An offseason of change, an aging roster without a superstar and a long list of Western Conference challengers may require Popovich to do his best coaching job to extend that streak to 22.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Spurs Notes: Walker, Duncan, Cunningham, Metu

October 3rd, 2018 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

A Spurs legend is helping Lonnie Walker navigate his first NBA training camp, writes Jabari Young of The Athletic. Tim Duncan has served as a mentor to the rookie guard, helping him refine his game to get ready for the start of the season.

“It’s a little surreal,” Walker said. “But that’s probably one of the best things about being a rookie, especially being drafted by the Spurs. You have players who are [the] previous greatest of all-time, such as him and Manu [Ginobili], and they treat you like family.”

Walker admits to being awe-struck the first time he met Duncan, but their relationship has become much more comfortable. Duncan is seen as a teacher who happy to pass along advice to any Spurs player, and he has become a surrogate to coach Gregg Popovich.

“It’s nothing unusual for us to see,” long-time Spur Patty Mills said. “[It’s] that same characteristic that Manu has of being able to help younger guys for the better of the team. Just because he’s retired doesn’t mean that that trait can’t keep going.”

There’s more tonight from San Antonio:

Popovich used numerous combinations in the preseason opener, but he seems fond of a second unit that provides a lot of floor spacing, Young adds in a separate story. The group had Mills on the floor along with Jakob Poeltl, Davis Bertans, Marco Belinelli and Bryn Forbes. “It’s a unit that can score,” Popovich said. “With Jakob in the post and shooters all around, it can be pretty interesting. We’re blessed with some people who can put it in the basket, and we want to put them in situations where they can use those skills.”
The Spurs like the toughness that veteran forward Dante Cunningham brings to the court, relays Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. San Antonio gave Cunningham a one-year, $2.5MM contract after deciding not to match the Grizzlies’ offer sheet for Kyle Anderson. Cunningham has been with six other teams during his nine-year NBA career, including the Pelicans and Nets last season. “I like to think I am more of a ball player than a position kind of guy — kind of short to be a center, kind of tall to be in a guardish-type situation,” he said. “But I kind of battle around and do a little bit of everything, I guess.”
Second-rounder Chimezie Metu has made a quick impression on his teammates with his shot-blocking skills, with LaMarcus Aldridge calling him “a pogo stick,” Orsborn notes in another piece.

NBA GMs Weigh In On 2018/19 Season

October 3rd, 2018 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

NBA.com has completed its annual survey of NBA general managers, with John Schuhmann of NBA.com asking each of the league’s 30 GMs to answer an array of questions about the league’s top teams, players, and coaches. Unsurprisingly, the Warriors are once again viewed by the NBA’s general managers as the overwhelming favorites to be the last team standing, with 26 of 30 GMs (87%) picking Golden State to win the NBA championship for the fourth time in five years.

While there are many responses in the GM survey worth checking out, we’ll focus on rounding up some of the more noteworthy ones related to rosters and player movement. Let’s dive in…

LeBron James (30%) and Kevin Durant (27%) are viewed as the frontrunners for the 2018/19 MVP award, but two younger players led the voting for the player GMs would most want to build a franchise around starting today. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo (30%) and Pelicans big man Anthony Davis (23%) led the way in that category. Interestingly, Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t receive a single vote this year after leading the way with 29% of the vote in 2017.
The Lakers‘ signing of James helped them earn 70% of the vote for the team that made the best overall moves this offseason. The Raptors, buoyed by their acquisition of Kawhi Leonard, finished second at 20%.
A ton of different signings and trade acquisitions received votes for the most underrated addition of the summer, with the Pacers‘ signing of Tyreke Evans barely leading the way with four votes. The Spurs‘ trade for DeMar DeRozan, the Bulls‘ signing of Jabari Parker, the Pelicans‘ addition of Julius Randle, and the Thunder‘s acquisition of Dennis Schroder received three votes apiece.
DeMarcus Cousins‘ decision to join the Warriors (35%) was considered the most surprising move of the offseason, followed by the Spurs/Raptors blockbuster trade (29%) and Paul George remaining with the Thunder (19%).
While Mavericks guard Luka Doncic is the strong frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, GMs expect Suns center Deandre Ayton and Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. to be the best players five years from now. Meanwhile, the Clippers‘ selection of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at No. 11 was viewed by the most GMs as the steal of the draft.
The Sixers (47%) and Celtics (33%) dominated voting for the teams with the most promising young cores.

Bertans Has Unusual Contract Incentives

October 2nd, 2018 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

Davis Bertans has to meet several criteria in order to earn a $250K bonus on his new contract with the Spurs — the veteran forward must play in 70 games, make 165 three-pointers, and average 6.5 defensive rebounds per 36 minutes, as Marks details.

[SOURCE LINK]

Atlantic Notes: Leonard, Smith, Williams, Brand

September 30th, 2018 at 8:52pm CST by JD Shaw

Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard showed flashes of brilliance in his debut with the team on Saturday, finishing with 12 points, three assists and one steal in 19 minutes of action.

“I think everybody saw Kawhi, he was shaking off some rust, right?” coach Nick Nurse asked postgame, according to Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. “But you can obviously see the level that he has and I think he looks like we’re all running around really fast and he gets it and everything goes into slow motion. It’s kind of a gift for guys that are as good as him and it’s neat to watch, too.”

Leonard was traded to the Raptors in July after a tumultuous end to his stint with the Spurs. He missed most of last season due to injury, with Saturday’s preseason game marking his first contest since January.

“I think it’s just going to take on-court minutes, getting the experience together, going out there and playing and getting a feel for the overall team, the overall game that he likes to play,” Kyle Lowry said of Leonard. “And the pace. We played at a really good pace tonight. It was a fun game, just good to get out there and compete against another team.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Sixers guard Zhaire Smith was admitted to the hospital on Thursday after suffering an allergic reaction, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Smith had a thoracoscopy, with tests returning negative. He did not travel with the team to China.
The Celtics are opting to bring rookie Robert Williams along slowly, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston details. “You can’t be amazed the whole game,” Williams said. “I had to put that to the side. I saw a couple nice moves by Kemba [Walker], but I want to block that [expletive]. That’s the mentality I’m supposed to have.”
David Aldridge of The Athletic explains how the Sixers named Elton Brand the new general manager of the team, tasking him with continuing the franchise’s ascension.

Manu Ginobili Not Planning On Coaching

September 28th, 2018 at 10:41am CST by Luke Adams

Manu Ginobili recently attended Gregg Popovich‘s annual retreat for Spurs coaches, but the recently retired guard has no immediate plans to enter the coaching ranks, as Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News details.

[RELATED: Manu Ginobili announces retirement]

Relaying a column that Ginobili wrote for Argentine newspaper La Nacion, Orsborn notes that the 41-year-old enjoyed the opportunity to “learn and see basketball from the other side” during Popovich’s coaches retreat. However, Ginobili says he has “no intention” of becoming a coach at this point, opting instead to happily settle into his retirement.

Although Ginobili isn’t about to accept a coaching role with the Spurs or any other team, he has been in attendance at training camp this week, Orsborn points out. The longtime San Antonio guard wrote in his La Nacion column that he believes the Spurs – who added one of the league’s best scorers in DeMar DeRozan – will be better offensively than they were last season, but will be tested on defense.

In a previous column for La Nacion, Ginobili said that he’d be open to a role with the Spurs, albeit perhaps not in an official capacity: “My children have already started classes and while I’m in town I’ll be close to the team and the franchise. Maybe I can’t help (anymore) by taking a (charge) or (with a steal) or something, but I’ll try to add in what I can. … If I can help from the outside, I will do it with pleasure.”

Spurs Exercise 2019/20 Options On Jakob Poeltl, Derrick White

September 27th, 2018 at 5:57pm CST by JD Shaw

The Spurs have exercised the 2019/20 options in the contracts of Jakob Poeltl and Derrick White, the team announced in a press release. The club also exercised the $2.3MM option in Dejounte Murray’s contract for the season, as we noted earlier.

Poeltl was traded to the Spurs as part of a package featuring Kawhi Leonard and DeMar DeRozan in July, and is expected to provide depth in the frontcourt for San Antonio. His maturity and focus at the age of 22 has impressed Spurs’ staffers in his short time with the team.

Poeltl appeared in all 82 contests with the Raptors last season, holding per-game averages of 6.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 18.6 minutes. He was drafted with the No. 9 pick in 2016 after playing two collegiate seasons at Utah.

White, a 6’5″ combo guard who’s in his second NBA season, was selected by the Spurs with the 29th pick in 2017. He played just 17 games last season with the franchise, spending most of his time with the team’s G League affiliate Austin Spurs.

The Spurs have a cap charge of $3.7MM for 2019/10 by picking up Poeltl’s team option, and a separate charge of $1.9MM by exercising White’s option. Poeltl’s rookie contract is due to expire in 2020, while White has a fourth-year option for the 2020/21 campaign.

Spurs Pick Up Dejounte Murray’s Fourth-Year Option

September 27th, 2018 at 4:50pm CST by JD Shaw

The Spurs have picked up the fourth year option in Dejounte Murray‘s contract, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. The option is worth $2.3MM for the 2019/20 season.

Murray, 22, appeared in 81 games last season, averaging 8.1 points and 5.7 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per contest. He’s established himself as a premier defender with the Spurs, being named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team last season.

Murray is expected to start at point guard and play alongside DeMar DeRozan in San Antonio’s new-look backcourt this season. The Spurs hold confidence that Murray can take the reins from Tony Parker, who left the team in free agency, and become a permanent starter in the league. San Antonio will need his production to have a chance at competing with elite Western Conference teams such as the Warriors, Rockets and Thunder.

Murray was drafted with the 29th overall pick in 2016 after spending one year in college with Washington. He’s entering his third season with the team this fall.

The Spurs will also need to make 2019/20 option decisions on Jakob Poeltl and Derrick White before the October 31 deadline.

Spurs Notes: DeRozan, Murray, Aldridge, Ginobili

September 24th, 2018 at 7:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Shooting guard DeMar DeRozan says he’s more motivated than he’s ever been in his career, as he told NBA.com in a TV interview. DeRozan was highly agitated when the Raptors traded him away to the Spurs and while he claims he’s over the disappointment, he feels he has something to prove while moving to the Western Conference. “I treated my whole summer workout with that motivation, that chip on my shoulder. It’s making me more anxious to get out there and play,” he said.

In other news around the Spurs:

Coach Gregg Popovich said during the team’s annual media day on Monday that Dejounte Murray is up for the challenge of becoming the team’s next standout point guard, Madalyn Mendoza of the San Antonio Express News writes. “He really wants to be good, he really wants to be to the team what Tony (Parker) was to the team,” Popovich said. “I’m confident he’ll do that as time goes on.” Murray’s ability to push the ball will force the tempo and challenge his teammates, Popovich adds. “Other players will have to run like they’ve never run before because he’s going to go,” Popovich said. “And if they want to ball they’ll have to run with him.”
LaMarcus Aldridge is glad the Kawhi Leonard saga is over and doesn’t want to rehash it, Michael Bolin of 247Sports relays. “It’s obviously gone now. If you are gonna ask questions about that whole thing, I’m not going to answer it,” the veteran power forward said. “We are happy to turn the page.”
Popovich took recently retired guard Manu Ginobili on his annual coaches’ retreat last week, ESPN’s Michael C. Wright tweets. Ginobili revealed earlier this month that Popovich tried to talk him into playing for another season.

Spurs Waive Olivier Hanlan, Add Nick Johnson

September 24th, 2018 at 6:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Spurs have waived guard Olivier Hanlan, according to the NBA.com transactions log.

San Antonio signed Hanlan last week. Hanlan will likely wind up with the G League’s Austin Spurs unless he’s claimed. He played 44 games for them last season.

San Antonio has added guard Nick Johnson to the training camp roster, according to a team release. Johnson was named the G League finals MVP last season after leading Austin to the title.

The 6’3” Johnson has not played an NBA game since the 2014/15 season, when he was a Rockets rookie.

Houston selected him in the second round in 2014. He averaged 2.6 PPG in 9.4 MPG. Johnson has appeared in a total of 102 G League games and spent the 2o16/17 season with Bayern Munich in Germany.

The Spurs technically have a full camp roster, though recently-retired Manu Ginobili is still on the 20-player list.

Hanlan, a former Boston College standout, was selected in the second round by the Jazz in 2015. The Spurs acquired his rights the following summer in exchange for Boris Diaw and a future second-rounder.

Hanlan has also played professionally in Lithuania and France. With Austin last season, the 6’4” guard averaged 14.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 2.8 APG in 30.6 MPG. He averaged 6.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG and 2.6 APG in five Las Vegas outings with the Spurs’ summer league team.