San Antonio Spurs Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Spurs’ Danny Green Likely To Pick Up Option

June 21st, 2018 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Spurs swingman Danny Green will likely forgo free agency and exercise the 2018/19 player option on his current contract, league sources tell Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. The option would pay Green a $10MM salary for next season.

Green, who will celebrate his 31st birthday on Friday, has been a mainstay in San Antonio’s lineup for years, averaging between 23 and 29 minutes per game for the franchise every season since 2011/12. In 70 games in 2017/18, Green averaged 8.6 PPG and 3.6 RPG with a shooting line of .387/.363/.769.

Although Green profiles as a three-and-D wing, his ability to knock down outside shots has wavered a little in recent years. He has converted just 35.7% of his three-point attempts over the last three seasons, after hitting 42.3% in the four years prior to that.

Given his modest numbers, Green isn’t viewed as a lock to match or exceed his $10MM salary on the open market, particularly since league-wide spending is expected to be tighter in 2018 than it was the last two summers. League sources tell Young that Green is more likely to see offers in the mid-level range ($5-8MM) if he opts out.

If Green exercises his player option, it would further reduce the Spurs’ odds of opening up cap room this offseason. The club would have about $88.4MM in guaranteed salaries on its books counting Green’s deal. That figure doesn’t include cap charges for free agents Tony Parker and Kyle Anderson, or for Rudy Gay and Joffrey Lauvergne, who also hold player options — Gay is expected to opt out.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Spurs Listening To Leonard Offers; Lakers Have Inquired

June 21st, 2018 at 2:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

2:49pm: The Lakers have reached out to the Spurs about dealing for Leonard, but no specifics have been discussed, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. The contact came within the past week, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, with a Lakers’ source saying, “they basically shut the door on us.” (Twitter link)

1:20pm: The Spurs are willing to listen to offers on Kawhi Leonard but haven’t spoken with the Lakers, Leonard’s preferred landing spot, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

San Antonio has not been making calls about Leonard but it will field offers and add them to the list of proposals, Wojnarowski adds. This suggests that the Spurs’ front office is losing hope of resolving the impasse between the club and its star forward.

With Leonard still under contract, San Antonio isn’t in any hurry to make a trade. Unless there’s a dramatic and overwhelming proposal, it’s not going to happen on draft night.

Leonard met with head coach Gregg Popovich on Tuesday in San Diego but that didn’t alter his request to be traded. Leonard’s desire to be dealt over the way the franchise handled his quad injury last season, and comments make by Popovich and guard Tony Parker about his ability to play, was revealed last week.

Leonard can become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Draft Rumors: Rockets, Spurs, Knicks, Bridges

June 20th, 2018 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Based on conversations with executives and agents, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer (Twitter link) is getting the sense that there’s far more uncertainty than usual entering Thursday’s draft. As O’Connor notes, it’s not just a matter of there being so many teams who are willing to move up, down, or out of the draft — there’s also no consensus on which players are the best available outside the lottery, which should make for an interesting night.

Here are more draft-related notes and rumors as we look forward to draft day:

The Rockets appear to be exploring a trade that would net them a mid-lottery pick, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who tweets that the club has apparently been trying to bring in prospects for workouts. This is worth keeping an eye on, but seems like a long shot, considering how limited Houston’s trade assets are.
The Spurs are “throwing out feelers” on trading the No. 18 selection in their conversations with teams, tweets Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. While the pick could be had in the right deal, the team will likely keep it, according to Young.
While Kevin Knox has received serious consideration, sources tell Marc Berman of The New York Post that Mikal Bridges remains the best bet to be the Knicks‘ pick at No. 9 on Thursday. Even if Michael Porter Jr. is available when the Knicks are on the clock, the team may have “cold feet,” given the forward’s health questions, per Berman.
Jeremy Woo’s latest article for SI.com includes plenty of scuttlebutt about the draft’s top picks and which way those teams appears to be leaning.

Eastern Notes: Celtics, Heat, Sixers, Hornets, Nets

June 20th, 2018 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics figure to be one the primary suitors for Kawhi Leonard if the Spurs make him available this summer, but it won’t be easy for Boston to determine what sort of pieces to offer, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. Currently, the Celtics’ roster combines veterans like Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, and Kyrie Irving with young, up-and-coming stars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, potentially opening up a very long window of title contention for the franchise.

While most pundits would argue that surrendering Brown and multiple first-rounders in a deal for Leonard is a no-brainer, such a deal “tilts Boston more toward the present,” Lowe writes. Lowe also explores whether Brown has the upside to become a Leonard-type player in the long run, arguing that the Celtics would have reason to be wary of giving up 2016’s third overall pick — especially without any long-term assurances from Kawhi.

Meanwhile, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News explores the Leonard situation and notes that the Spurs have heard from multiple “serious suitors,” including the Celtics, Cavaliers, and Sixers. However, executives who spoke to Deveney don’t anticipate a Kawhi deal being made before or during the draft.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

The Heat will be over the cap this summer, but can still be involved in free agency. Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald examines the scenarios in which Miami could afford to add a free agent or two, and identifies a few potential targets for the club.
Texas Tech wing Zhaire Smith said today that the Sixers wanted to work out him for a second time in order to take a closer look at his shooting and ball-handling development, tweets Jake Fischer of SI.com. The No. 10 pick may be a little high for Smith, who may not last until Philadelphia’s next pick at No. 26, but the club has explored trade options, so he shouldn’t be ruled out as a potential target.
Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer lays out the case for why the Hornets were eager to get rid of veteran center Dwight Howard. Charlotte is reportedly finalizing a trade with Brooklyn that will send Howard to the Nets.
The Nets worked out a large number of early entrant prospects who ultimately ended up withdrawing from the draft and going back to school. Net Income of NetsDaily explains how those auditions could pay off for the team in the long run.

Kawhi Leonard, Popovich Meet In San Diego

June 19th, 2018 at 11:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard met with head coach Gregg Popovich on Tuesday in San Diego, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reports.

The meeting was conducted professionally and confidentially, according to Charania, but there’s no indication that Leonard has softened his stance on being traded. Leonard’s desire to be moved, with Los Angeles being his preferred destination, was revealed last week.

Today’s meeting had been scheduled for weeks and was not a response to Leonard’s trade request, Sam Amick of USA Today tweets.

There has been steady communication between the Spurs’ front office and Leonard’s representatives, Charania adds. If Leonard is willing to stay put and sign a max extension with the Spurs, that could alter plans for several teams who have been angling to put together a package deal for him.

However, according to Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com, Leonard has privately maintained that he no longer wants to play for the Spurs, and intends to eventually let suitors know that his intention is to sign in L.A. – preferably with the Lakers – when he reaches free agency in 2019.

The Spurs likely won’t be eager to facilitate a trade to the Lakers for Leonard, who remains upset over the team’s handling of his quad injury, as well as public comments from Popovich and teammate Tony Parker about the situation, per Shelburne and Wojnarowski.

While San Antonio has encouraged teams calling about Leonard to make offers if they so choose, the club has been “largely reluctant” to provide guidance on what sort of package it’s seeking, league sources tell the ESPN duo. The Spurs’ top priority continues to be talking with Leonard and his camp to work through the issues, according to Shelburne and Wojnarowski.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Cavs Rumors: LeBron, Love, Trade Talks, Coaches

June 19th, 2018 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

While LeBron James will have until June 29 to exercise or decline his 2018/19 player option, his final decision on his next team won’t happen quickly and figures to stretch into July, Adrian Wojnarowski said on Monday during a draft special on ESPN (Twitter link via Sagar Trika). If that’s the case, James seems more likely to opt out than to opt in next week, which would have an impact on which suitors are viable destinations, as I explained here.

Meanwhile, Wojnarowski also reports that the Cavaliers would like to package Kevin Love and the No. 8 pick for a star player on draft night, but that combo may not net the kind of star they’re seeking (Twitter link via Trika). As Wojnarowski observes, Love’s value isn’t at its peak and the Brooklyn first-rounder isn’t quite as strong as Cleveland had hoped, limiting the appeal of that package to some extent.

Let’s round up a few more Cavs notes and rumors…

The Cavaliers have talked to the Grizzlies on more than one occasion, according to Sam Amico of AmicoHoop.net, who cautions that he doesn’t know the specifics of those discussions. Memphis is reportedly open to the idea of attaching Chandler Parsons‘ contract to the No. 4 pick in a trade, so it’s possible Cleveland has checked in on that possibility.
Echoing a Monday report, Amico confirms that the Cavaliers are expressing interest in Hornets point guard Kemba Walker and have kicked the tires on disgruntled Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard.
Although Amico expects the Cavs to hang onto the No. 8 pick, a lot of teams are interested in trading up to that spot, including the Nets.
The Cavs have had discussions about potentially acquiring another late first-round pick “to help open up the possibilities,” a league source tells Amico.
The Cavs are parting ways with assistant coach Jim Boylan and player development coach Phil Handy, multiple league sources tell Dave McMenamin and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. By not renewing the contracts for Boylan and Handy, the Cavs are clearing the path to give Dan Geriot and Damon Jones larger roles on their coaching staff, per ESPN’s report. No longer employed in Cleveland, Handy may be a candidate to join Nick Nurse‘s Raptors staff, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

Cavs Willing To Trade Lottery Pick For Vets

June 18th, 2018 at 4:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers are seeking proven veterans from teams looking to move up in the draft despite not knowing LeBron James‘ plans for the future, Joe Vardon of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Cleveland has the No. 8 overall pick on Thursday, courtesy of the Kyrie Irving blockbuster deal with the Celtics last summer. The front office has sent signals that it intends to upgrade the team, even if James opts out of his contract or requests a trade, Vardon continues.

Cleveland has sent out feelers to the Spurs about their willingness to deal disgruntled forward Kawhi Leonard. Hornets point guard Kemba Walker is another potential target, according to Vardon. Adding another impact player would be a way of trying to entice James to stay put but, of course, there’s no guarantee that will convince him to do so.

The front office and James’ camp have been in contact over the phone and in person lately, though the team’s brass hasn’t met with James,, sources told Vardon. There have not been any serious discussions regarding his future because James remains uncertain what he’s going to do, Vardon adds.

Despite their willingness to deal, the Cavaliers could still hold onto the pick.

Adding another veteran or two, especially if Cleveland uses the $5.8MM trade exception it possesses, would present even more salary-cap issues. The Cavs will pay about $50MM in luxury-tax penalties on last season’s payroll, Vardon notes, and they’ll still be over the cap even if James bolts without them trading for more help. Yet the Cavs’ front office is still willing to take on more salary with the hope of improving their chances to retain James, Vardon adds.

Spurs’ Rudy Gay To Decline Player Option

June 18th, 2018 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Spurs forward Rudy Gay will turn down his 2018/19 player option, electing to become a free agent on July 1, reports ESPN’s Chris Haynes. The option would have paid Gay a salary of $8,826,300 for next season.

Gay, whose 2016/17 campaign ended early due to an Achilles injury, made a speedy recovery and was ready to go for the Spurs in the fall after signing a two-year, $17.2MM deal with the club. However, he was nagged by Achilles and heel problems during the winter, limiting him to 57 regular season games — he never seemed fully like his old self.

“A lot of times, I will-powered through games, will-powered through practices,” Gay told Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News in April. “I didn’t feel like there was anything worse I can go through (than the Achilles tendon injury).”

In that conversation with McDonald earlier in the spring, the veteran reportedly sounded “genuinely torn” over whether or not to pick up his option, but it makes some sense that he’d seek a new deal on the open market. While Gay missed time with health problems and averaged a career-low 21.6 minutes per contest, his per-minute numbers were solid, as he posted 11.5 PPG and 5.1 RPG with a .471/.314/.772 shooting line for the season.

Additionally, Gay may not want to lock himself into another season with the Spurs as long as the team’s roster remains in flux. In addition to Kawhi Leonard‘s reported desire to leave San Antonio, Danny Green and Joffrey Lauvergne also have player-option decisions to make, Tony Parker and Kyle Anderson will be free agents, and Manu Ginobili is believed to be considering retirement.

Still, Gay is no lock to get a raise on his $8.8MM+ player-option salary. The mid-level exception for 2018/19 figures to be worth a little less than that, so in order to top that salary, Gay would probably have to either negotiate a new deal with San Antonio or find a team with cap room willing to make him a sizable offer.

If Gay ultimately settles for a lesser salary for next season, it would be the second consecutive summer that he has taken a pay cut. In 2017, he declined his $14MM+ option with the Kings before signing that new deal with the Spurs that paid him approximately $8.4MM in 2017/18.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kawhi Leonard Rumors: Clippers, Lakers, Celtics

June 18th, 2018 at 10:29am CST by Luke Adams

The first major story of the NBA offseason broke on Friday, when multiple reports indicated that Kawhi Leonard wanted out of San Antonio. While the Spurs will take a patient, measured approach to the situation and won’t rush Leonard out the door, there was certainly no shortage of trade rumors surrounding the star forward over the weekend.

We’ve got a few more Kawhi-related items to round up this morning, so let’s dive right in…

Both the Lakers and Clippers have some concerns about the severity of Leonard’s quad injury, writes Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. While no player on the Lakers’ roster is untouchable, the team’s willingness to part with major pieces for Leonard would depend on how confident the front office is in his health.
Assuming the Clippers are comfortable with Leonard’s health, they’d be willing to create a package headlined by Tobias Harris and the 12th or 13th pick in this year’s draft, a source tells Ganguli.
Kevin Pelton and Bobby Marks of ESPN.com take a closer look at what the Celtics could offer for Leonard, exploring whether higher-priced veteran stars like Kyrie Irving or Gordon Hayward could be trade chips or whether Boston could put together a package using a handful of less expensive players.
Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com examines the impact that the Leonard situation could have on LeBron James‘ decision this summer.
The Leonard saga represents the “end of the innocence” for Spurs fans, Mike Finger explains in a column for The San Antonio Express-News.

Cavaliers Notes: Nance, Clarkson, Hill, Leonard

June 17th, 2018 at 9:11am CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers aren’t likely to launch a complete rebuilding project if LeBron James leaves in free agency, writes writes Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. Three of the players Cleveland acquired at this year’s trade deadline — Larry Nance Jr., Jordan Clarkson and George Hill — are all under contract for next year, and the Cavs want to see what they can do when they’re with the organization from the start of the season.

Cleveland is likely to discuss an extension with Nance, who will make $2.3MM next season on the final year of his rookie contract. Teams have called about trading for Nance, Pluto states, but the Cavaliers seem committed to keeping him. Clarkson struggled in the playoffs, but was a valuable bench scorer during the regular season and the Cavs recognize that this was his first postseason experience. Hill has limited trade value with a $17MM contract.

The future is more unpredictable for Rodney Hood, who seemed like a good young player in Utah but had a miserable time after the trade. Pluto expects the Cavaliers to tender a $3.4MM qualifying offer, giving them the right to match any offer Hood receives in free agency.

There’s more Cavaliers news this morning:

Cleveland is among the teams trying to pry Kawhi Leonard away from the Spurs, but assembling a workable offer won’t be easy, Pluto adds in the same story. Kevin Love, who will make $24.1MM next season with a player option close to $25.6MM for 2019/20, would be useful for salary-matching purposes, but San Antonio seems more interested in acquiring young talent than an established player like Love.
Shaquille O’Neal doesn’t think LeBron James should let the pursuit of more championships guide his free agency decision, relays Scott Gleeson of USA Today. “My problem toward the end of my career was I was trying to shut everybody up and I was greedy [for more championships],” O’Neal said. “After I got to three [titles], everybody was saying I couldn’t get another. So I got four. After I got the fourth, they were saying I couldn’t get another one. So I was trying to make quick stops to get it. Phoenix, Cleveland, Boston.” O’Neal adds that it will be difficult for James to overcome the Warriors no matter where he goes.
James’ decision will dominate the summer, but the Cavs have some under-the-radar moves to make as well, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN. Cleveland has a team option on veteran center Kendrick Perkins that must be exercised by June 29. His $2.4MM salary for 2018/19 would be non-guaranteed. Okaro White, who was signed late in the season, will get a chance to show what he can do during summer league. Half of his $1.5MM salary for next year will become guaranteed if he is still on the roster Aug. 5.