San Antonio Spurs Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Spurs Sign First-Rounder Lonnie Walker

July 11th, 2018 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have officially signed first-round pick Lonnie Walker to his first NBA contract, the team announced today in a press release. San Antonio has been formally finalizing many of its contract agreements today, having already confirmed new deals for Rudy Gay and Davis Bertans.

Walker, the 18th overall pick in this year’s draft, played his lone college season at Miami, averaging 11.5 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 1.9 APG for the Hurricanes. Though his numbers as a freshman weren’t great, the 6’4″ shooting guard always projected as a first-rounder due to his impressive upside and wingspan.

Like other first-round picks, Walker will get a rookie contract that features two guaranteed seasons, with team options on years three and four. Assuming he signed for the full 120% of the rookie scale, Walker will be in line for a first-year salary of approximately $2.36MM. His four-year deal will be worth about $12.46MM in total.

With Walker officially locked up, only one 2018 first-rounder – 29th overall pick Dzanan Musa (Nets) – remains unsigned.

Spurs Re-Sign Davis Bertans

July 11th, 2018 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 11: The Spurs’ two-year, guaranteed deal with Bertans is now official, according to his agent Arturs Kalnitis (Twitter link).

JULY 10: According to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, Bertans’ new deal with the Spurs is for $14.5MM over two seasons.

JULY 9: After declining to match Kyle Anderson‘s offer sheet with the Grizzlies, the Spurs won’t let a second restricted free agent get away. According to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, San Antonio has agreed to terms on a new contract with forward Davis Bertans. While it’s not official yet, the two sides are expected to complete a four-year, $20MM deal, per Carchia.

Bertans, 25, played regular minutes for the Spurs in 2017/18, averaging 5.9 PPG and 2.0 RPG with a .440/.373/.816 shooting line in 77 games (14.1 MPG). A 6’10” power forward, Bertans is capable of guarding frontcourt players on defense and stretching the floor on offense (1.2 threes per game).

Reports over the last week or two linked Bertans to the Jazz, Nets, and Timberwolves. However, Utah elected not to aggressively pursue outside free agents and the Wolves addressed their need for a stretch four by adding Anthony Tolliver. The Nets had cap room available to push the Spurs on Bertans, but appear to be biding their time and considering their options for their remaining space.

San Antonio will increase its team salary to approximately $110MM with Bertans back on the books. The team holds his Early Bird rights, so it can go over the cap to re-sign him without using another exception like the mid-level.

The Spurs entered the offseason with qualifying offers out to three restricted free agents. Although Anderson got away, the team appears poised to re-sign Bertans and is in a good position to retain Bryn Forbes as well.

Spurs Re-Sign Rudy Gay

July 11th, 2018 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 11: The Spurs have officially re-signed Gay, the team announced today in a press release.

JUNE 30: Veteran forward Rudy Gay has committed to re-sign with the Spurs on a one-year, $10MM deal, league sources tell Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Gay winds up with a modest raise after opting out of a contract that would have paid him $8,826,300 next season. Factoring in a 20% raise from his $8,406,000 salary for 2017/18, the Spurs could go as high as $10,087,200 for Gay’s next deal using his Non-Bird rights.

The 31-year-old forward assumed a reduced role in his first year in San Antonio, but was able to bounce back from a torn left Achilles tendon he suffered in Sacramento. Gay managed 57 games for the Spurs, averaging 11.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per night.

Another year removed from that Achilles injury, Gay could be in for a larger role in San Antonio for the 2018/19 season, particularly if trade candidate Kawhi Leonard doesn’t return. The Spurs’ other key small forward, Kyle Anderson, is also no lock to return, though the team is expected to make an effort to re-sign the restricted free agent.

Having presumably used Gay’s Non-Bird rights to strike a deal with the veteran forward, the Spurs will still have their mid-level exception available.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Kawhi Leonard

July 10th, 2018 at 2:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have “consistently remained atop the list of teams expected to land” Kawhi Leonard in a trade, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post writes in his latest look at the Leonard situation. In Bontemps’ view, Philadelphia’s ability to acquire Leonard may hinge on the team’s willingness to add Markelle Fultz to an offer. If Fultz is on the table, it’ll be hard for another team to top the 76ers’ offer, says Bontemps.

Keith Pompey of Philly.com also revisits the Sixers’ interest in Leonard, writing that the team is confident it could convince the star forward to stay in Philadelphia for longer than one year if he’s traded. However, the 76ers are willing to walk away from the Kawhi sweepstakes if the Spurs‘ asking price remains high, as principal owner Josh Harris hinted on Monday.

“If the right situation comes where we can acquire someone that can really add value to our program and the cost of it isn’t prohibitive, then we’ll move forward and do that,” Harris said, per Pompey. “But if that doesn’t come along for whatever reason, then we’ll keep moving forward with our program.”

As Pompey details, the Spurs keep trying to “raise the ante” in Leonard talks, telling clubs that another team is offering more for the two-time Defensive Player of the Year. Pompey suggests that Robert Covington, Dario Saric, and Miami’s 2021 first-round pick would be a realistic package from the Sixers’ side, but notes that the Spurs are believed to be seeking three first-round picks in addition to those two players.

Here’s more on Leonard:

Within his look at the Leonard situation, Bontemps writes that the Raptors have “generated buzz” as a potential destination for the Spurs star. ESPN’s Zach Lowe wrote last week about the possibility of Toronto being a wild-card team in the Kawhi sweepstakes, suggesting that they could offer a package centered around one of their All-Star guards, a young player, and a first-round pick.
One aspect of the Leonard saga that frustrated the Spurs during the 2017/18 season was repeatedly believing he was on the verge of returning to the court, only to be informed he wasn’t coming back after all, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. Dan Feldman of NBC Sports relays Wright’s comments on that subject from an appearance on the Back to Back podcast.
Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo Sports rounds up several of the Leonard rumors from the last week or so in an informative article.

Latest On Sixers’ GM Search

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

After working their way through the NBA draft and the first wave of 2018 free agency without a general manager, the Sixers figure to shift their focus to filling that open front office position in the coming weeks. However, principal owner Josh Harris cautions that the search may not be completed quickly, as Keith Pompey of Philly.com details.

“I think it’s going to take a while to find the right person,” Harris said on Monday. “I hate to keep talking about it, but we really need to find the right person who can develop the special culture. It’s very consensus-oriented.

As Pompey explains, the Sixers want to take a collaborative approach to key personnel and roster decisions, meaning any serious candidate for the GM opening will have to be willing to surrender total power on those decisions. The team’s goal is to find a candidate that will mesh with head coach Brett Brown, vice president of basketball operations Ned Cohen, and other front office executives like Alex Rucker and Sergi Oliva.

“Certainly there are other ways to do it, where there’s a big, strong leader,” Harris said. “He or she makes every decision, and there’s many roads to run. That’s just not the road we are going to take.”

The Sixers’ reluctance to give total decision-making control to their next GM may turn off some top candidates, but Pompey still identifies a handful of noteworthy names receiving consideration. Multiple sources tell Pompey that former Nets and Nuggets GM Kiki VanDeWeghe has expressed interest in the job. Spurs GM R.C. Buford has also been cited as a possible target, according to Pompey, who notes that it would be difficult to lure Buford out of San Antonio. Of the Sixers’ internal candidates, Cohen probably has the best case, Pompey adds.

Harris suggested that the Sixers would like to hire a general manager who has previous GM experience, adding that a proven “track record” is a plus, though he acknowledged that’s not necessarily a deal-breaker.

Philadelphia has been on the lookout for a new general manager since a scandal involving multiple burner Twitter accounts ultimately led to Bryan Colangelo‘s ouster. Brown is serving as the team’s interim GM.

Grizzlies Sign Swingman Kyle Anderson

July 9th, 2018 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

JULY 9, 10:55pm: The signing is official, according to a Grizzlies press release, after the Spurs declined to match.

JULY 6, 8:27pm: Spurs swingman Kyle Anderson has signed a four-year, $37.2MM offer sheet with the Grizzlies, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports. San Antonio has 48 hours to match the offer, which includes a 15 percent trade kicker, on the restricted free agent.

The Grizzlies will use their full mid-level exception on Anderson and become hard-capped if San Antonio fails to match, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.

The Grizzlies targeted Anderson in their quest to upgrade at small forward, Wojnarowski continues. Anderson averaged 7.9 PPG and 5.4 RPG in 26.7 MPG last season. He started 67 of 74 games with Kawhi Leonard sidelined for all but nine games with a quad injury.

The 6’9” Anderson is entering his fifth season in the league and the Spurs have been positive about retaining him, Wojnarowski adds. He’s been a rotation player the last three seasons but has never posted big numbers. He is considered a superior defender, which attracted Memphis’ attention as it tries to restore a defensive mindset.

Spurs Have Interest In Luc Mbah A Moute

July 9th, 2018 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

According to Iko, Mbah a Moute is seeking more money and long-term security than he received from the Rockets in 2017/18, but the club is offering him another minimum-salary deal. Iko’s source suggests that the Spurs, Lakers, Clippers, Wizards, and Sixers have all expressed some level of interest in Mbah a Moute as well.

Spurs Decline To Match Grizzlies’ Offer Sheet For Kyle Anderson

July 8th, 2018 at 7:49pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Spurs are declining to match the offer sheet Kyle Anderson signed with the Grizzlies, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). It was previously reported that San Antonio was leaning against matching the four-year, $37.2MM offer.

Anderson will likely become Memphis’ starting small forward, Wojnarowski notes. The 24-year-old has been excellent on the defensive end and the organization views the deal as an investment toward its goal of “recapturing” the Grit and Grind era, Woj writes in a full-length piece on ESPN.com.

Anderson, a UCLA product, enjoyed a more prominent role than expected in 2017/18, with Kawhi Leonard sitting out nearly the entire season. The wing appeared in 74 games, averaging 7.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per contest with an efficient .527 FG%.

The Spurs are already over the cap, committing $105.6MM for the upcoming season with only 10 players under contract. Matching Anderson’s offer sheet would have left the team without much financial flexibility as it aimed to fill out the remainder of the roster. San Antonio still has to consider new deals for its other restricted free agents, Davis Bertans and Bryn Forbes.

Anderson’s departure represents the latest in a string of lost restricted free agents for the Spurs. The club opted to withdraw qualifying offers for Cory Joseph and Jonathon Simmons in 2015 and 2017, respectively, allowing them to sign elsewhere. In 2016, San Antonio opted not to match Boban Marjanovic‘s offer sheet with the Pistons.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Spurs Unlikely To Match Offer For Kyle Anderson?

July 8th, 2018 at 12:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

As tonight’s deadline approaches, the Spurs are leaning toward not matching the Grizzlies’ offer sheet for Kyle Anderson, tweets Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express News.

Memphis extended the four-year, $37.2MM offer on Friday, so the clock is winding down on San Antonio’s 48-hour time frame to match the deal. The Spurs have luxury tax concerns, and Anderson’s starting salary could push them to the brink of the tax. The offer sheet also includes a 15% trade kicker.

An injury to Kawhi Leonard created an opportunity for Anderson, who responded with the best season of his four-year career. He appeared in 74 games this year, starting 67, and averaged 7.9 points while establishing himself as a force on defense.

Spurs Notes: Parker, White, Anderson, Leonard

July 8th, 2018 at 10:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Tony Parker wanted to stay in San Antonio, but the Spurs wouldn’t offer a multi-year deal or guarantee significant playing time, relays Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Parker hasn’t given up on his goal of playing 20 NBA seasons, but he’ll need three more to get there and it became increasingly clear that wouldn’t happen in San Antonio.

“The Spurs will always be home,” said Parker, who agreed to a two-year, $10MM contract with Charlotte. “San Antonio will always be a big part of my life. At the end, I just felt like the Hornets wanted me more.”

Parker will have a defined role in Charlotte as the primary backup to point guard Kemba Walker. Playing time wouldn’t have been guaranteed with the Spurs, who wanted him to serve primarily in a mentorship role. Parker, who spent 17 years in San Antonio and won four NBA titles, met with longtime teammate Tim Duncan two weeks ago to discuss the decision to leave.

“I never took for granted that what we did was hard,” Parker said. “Me, Manu [Ginobili] and Tim took less money in free agency every time. It’s not easy to have a dynasty. I think some people maybe took it for granted. I don’t think what we did will ever happen again.”

There’s more today from San Antonio:

The loss of Parker should create more playing time for Derrick White, McDonald writes in a separate story. The former first-round pick can handle either backcourt position, but is being used primarily at point guard during summer league play.
The Spurs haven’t decided whether to match the Grizzlies’ offer sheet for Kyle Anderson and will probably go right to today’s deadline before making an announcement, McDonald notes in a another piece. Memphis extended a four-year, $37.2MM offer to Anderson on Friday that includes a 15% trade kicker. Anderson, 24, had a career-best season in 2017/18, starting 67 of the 74 games he played and averaging 7.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per night. The Spurs are already near the tax line, and matching Anderson’s deal would move them about $3MM closer on top of his $6.45MM cap hold.
The decision on Anderson could provide a clue on what the Spurs plan to do with Kawhi Leonard, McDonald tweets. If they plan to keep Leonard and try to fix their strained relationship, the Spurs won’t have significant minutes to offer Anderson. If they expect to trade Leonard before the season starts, there’s no one else on the roster who can fill Anderson’s role on defense.
The Spurs made a front office move over the weekend, adding former Pistons director of player personnel Adam Glessner, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).