San Antonio Spurs Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kawhi Leonard Expected To Remain With Spurs Long-Term?

March 2nd, 2018 at 7:50pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Rumors of friction between the Spurs and Kawhi Leonard developed over the star’s inability to play with his nagging quad injury, but Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders hears that most of the rift is a result of a lack of communication.

Kyler adds that while the relationship is far from unrepairable, the two sides will need to talk things out once the season is over. The scribe hears that the team isn’t going to make the 2016/17 MVP candidate available in trades.

The Spurs have been “fairly open” with Leonard’s representatives about their willingness to let the situation take its course, though the front office would obviously prefer Leonard to return and get re-acclimated with the team. San Antonio’s medical staff had put the small forward on a program earlier in the season and the doctors cleared him to play at one point. However, Leonard remained in pain and sought additional opinions, which irked the franchise.

Leonard remains in pain today, but he wants nothing more than to put this whole situation behind him and return to the floor. San Antonio entered the night with a record of 36-26, good for fifth in the Western Conference. The team appears to be in decent position to make the postseason, though a deep run will undoubtedly depend on the availability of Leonard and recently injured LaMarcus Aldridge.

The small forward will be a free agent during the summer of 2019, but this offseason, he’ll be eligible for the Designated Veteran Player Exception, a vehicle that could net him in the neighborhood of $250MM.

Sources tell Kyler that Leonard’s situation rivals Aldridge’s situation this past offseason, when a sitdown between coach Gregg Popovich and the power forward was needed to hash out some differences. The open communication led to an extension for Aldridge and the sense around the league is that this will be the second offseason in a row where the Spurs sit down to meet with one of their top players and come away signing him to a long-term pact.

Spurs Assign Brandon Paul, Derrick White To G League

March 2nd, 2018 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have sent guards Brandon Paul and Derrick White to the G League, the team announced today in a press release. The backcourt duo figures to suit up for the Austin Spurs on Friday night as San Antonio’s G League affiliate hosts the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Community Shootaround: Western Playoff Race

March 2nd, 2018 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

While it remains to be seen whether the Rockets or Warriors will finish the season as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, there’s no risk of either team falling below No. 2. Houston currently has a half-game lead on the second-place Warriors and a 12-game lead on the third-place Timberwolves.

After the top two teams in the West though, things get very interesting. As of today, there are seven Western teams separated by just two games in the loss column, with the 10th-seeded Jazz hanging around the race too. Here’s a current snapshot of the standings in the West:

Minnesota Timberwolves (38-27)
Portland Trail Blazers (36-26)
San Antonio Spurs (36-26)
New Orleans Pelicans (35-26)
Oklahoma City Thunder (36-27)
Denver Nuggets (33-28)
Los Angeles Clippers (32-28)
Utah Jazz (31-30)

Several of these teams have lost key players via injury or trade this season. The Timberwolves are currently without Jimmy Butler; Kawhi Leonard has barely played for the Spurs; DeMarcus Cousins is out for the season for the Pelicans; the Thunder will be without Andre Roberson for the season; the Nuggets and Jazz have lost Paul Millsap and Rudy Gobert for big chunks of the season, though both are playing now; and, of course, the Clippers traded Blake Griffin before last month’s deadline.

Of the eight teams vying for the final six playoff spots in the West, only the Spurs (3-7) have a losing record in their last 10 games, with the Trail Blazers (five straight wins) and Pelicans (seven straight wins) among the hottest teams in the group. Still, things could change quickly. Two or three losses in a row could send a team sliding down the standings in the West.

These teams have between 17 and 22 games left in the regular season, so we’re entering the home stretch, and there will be a key matchup worth watching nearly every day. The next two nights, for instance, will pit the Timberwolves vs. the Jazz and the Thunder vs. the Trail Blazers.

What’s your take on the Western Conference playoff race? Which two teams will miss the postseason? Which two teams will gain home-court advantage by nabbing the third and fourth seeds? Which first-round matchups would you most like to see?

Jump into the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

LaMarcus Aldridge Day-To-Day With Ankle Injury

March 1st, 2018 at 6:03pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs received some good news on LaMarcus Aldridge‘s ankle injury, as Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio-Express News details. A league source tells Orsborn that Aldridge is day-to-day with a sprained right ankle, apparently having avoided a more serious injury.

LaMarcus Aldridge Exits Game With Ankle Injury

February 28th, 2018 at 10:29pm CST by clarkcrum

LaMarcus Aldridge could potentially undergo an MRI tomorrow for a right ankle injury that he suffered in the first quarter of the Spurs’ 121-116 loss to the Pelicans tonight, according to a tweet from Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News. Aldridge attempted to return to the game after sustaining the injury but did not play in the second half.

There’s no word as to the severity of the injury, and the MRI could simply be precautionary, but for an already short-handed team missing superstar Kawhi Leonard and in the midst of a tight playoff race, the latest setback could prove devastating.

With 7:17 remaining in the first quarter, Aldridge landed awkwardly after attempting to block a shot attempt by Rajon Rondo. He fell to the floor but was able to stay in the game until the 3:02 mark, when he headed to the locker room. Aldridge returned in the second quarter for little over four minutes of game time before calling it quits for the night.

Aldridge, 32, was averaging 22.8 PPG and 8.3 RPG in 56 games before tonight’s contest and was named to his sixth All-Star team earlier this season.

Mills Replaces Green As Starter

February 28th, 2018 at 9:37pm CST by clarkcrum

The Grizzlies are on a 10-game losing streak and Marc Gasol is admittedly highly frustrated, he tells Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. As he sees it, the NBA is about winning, not about getting more repetitions for younger players or player development, which, in Gasol’s view, should be left to the G League. In a piece for Yahoo Sports, Chris Mannix adds that head coach J.B. Bickerstaff acknowledges the frustration that Gasol is experiencing.

“A guy as competitive as he is, and a guy who every day matters to him, whether it’s practice, drill work, three-on-three, he’s trying to win… A guy who is so unselfish, he doesn’t care how many points he scores. The only thing that matters to him are wins and losses. I think we all understand and appreciate guys who are that way. There’s no doubt about it, it’s frustrating for him.”

Despite the frustration, Gasol is trying to improve different areas of his game, says Bickerstaff.

“He’s working on different parts of his game. The way teams are playing, you don’t see a ton of post-up opportunities any more, (so) he’s working on his face-up game, he’s working on a different array of shots, in the paint, how he gets to those spots, things like that. Playing from the perimeter, being able to attack off the catch versus other big guys. Those things we’ve seen him be able to implement. He’s been able to implement them quick. As soon as he puts his mind to it, he can add it that night.”

There’s more news out of the Southwest Division:

The Rockets have the best record in the NBA and are currently one game ahead of second-place Golden State in the loss column. FiveThirtyEight gives them the best odds (40%) of winning the NBA title. And as MVP-favorite James Harden sees it, “this is (Houston’s) year”, reports Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
Spurs guard Patty Mills has replaced incumbent Danny Green in the starting lineup for now, reports Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. As is typical for head coach Gregg Popovich, he wouldn’t elaborate on the change, but Mills appears to give the Spurs a bit more offensive firepower in the first unit, while Green improves the second-unit’s defensive presence.
Mavericks big man Dwight Powell is making a case to be the team’s primary center moving forward, opines Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Averaging 14.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per contest over the last seven games, Powell excels at playing hard. “(T)he thing I like about Powell is you’re going to get unconditional, boundless energy and the highest of high-care factors when it comes to the team,” said head coach Rick Carlisle.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/27/18

February 27th, 2018 at 5:00pm CST by marksuleymanov

Here are Tuesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA.

The Spurs recalled rookie guard Derrick White from the Austin Spurs, according to a team press release. He has averaged 16.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 2.8 APG in 15 games with Austin.
The Heat have recalled guard Rodney McGruder from their G League affiliate, the Sioux City Skyforce, the team announced in a press release. McGruder has not appeared in a regular season game after undergoing surgery on a left tibia stress fracture in mid-October. He appeared in two G League games last week.
The Jazz assigned center Tony Bradley and guard Naz Mitrou-Long to their affiliate in Salt Lake City, according to the team’s Twitter feed.

Kawhi Leonard Eyes March Return

February 27th, 2018 at 2:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 27: Although he didn’t participate in the team portion of today’s workout session, Leonard returned to the Spurs’ practice facility on Tuesday, reports Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. As McDonald details, Leonard has suggested in conversations with teammates that he intends to return to the court this season.

“He said he’ll be back, so we knew he was going to be back eventually at some point — playing-wise, not just being around,” Danny Green said. “If he’s that confident mentally, I know he’s going to get the work done to get it done physically.”

McDonald suggests that a “soft target date” for Leonard’s return could land sometime as early as the Spurs’ mid-March road trip to Golden State, Oklahoma City, and Houston.

FEBRUARY 26: Kawhi Leonard plans to start working out again with the Spurs this week with the aim of returning to action in March, Michael C. Wright and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN report.

This comes as somewhat of a surprise since Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said last week that he’d be surprised if Leonard played again this season, even though the star forward has been medically cleared to play. Leonard has been nagged by a right quad injury that has limited him to nine games this season. He just returned to San Antonio after spending three weeks in New York, seeking further medical opinions on his injury, the ESPN duo continues.

Leonard isn’t expected to immediately start engaging in full five-on-five practices, league sources told ESPN. But he hopes to get to that level in near future. Leonard had been working out at the Players Association headquarters gymnasium, the ESPN report adds.

Friction has developed between Leonard and the organization over his ability to play with the injury, according to the report. That has caused concern within the organization over Leonard’s desire to stay there when he could enter free agency in the summer in 2019.

Can Dejounte Murray Become Next Great Spur?

February 26th, 2018 at 11:25am CST by Luke Adams

With Tony Parker averaging a career-low 20.6 minutes per game and Kawhi Leonard appearing in just nine contests this season, the Spurs have had to lean on other players, including Dejounte Murray. The second-year point guard has been a starter since January 21, averaging 26.2 minutes per game since then. Michael C. Wright of ESPN takes an in-depth look at Murray, exploring whether he has the potential to become one of the next great Spurs.

Cavaliers Notes: Thomas, LeBron, Hill, Leonard

February 25th, 2018 at 11:40am CST by Arthur Hill

Isaiah Thomas believes the Cavaliers panicked when they sent him to the Lakers as part of a flurry of deals at the trade deadline, according to an ESPN story. Thomas, who was acquired from the Celtics in the offseason, played just 15 games for the Cavs before being sent to L.A.

“It was a tough situation I was being put in,” Thomas said. “It was — it was different. … It’s hard to get acclimated to a team halfway through the season. People don’t put in there that we had eight or nine new players. So it was basically a brand new team. … I’m in a new system. New team, new coach, new players. And then I’ve been off for seven months. So I got to get — individually, I got to for the most part get my rhythm back, get my timing back.”

Thomas, who will be a free agent this summer, said he has no hard feelings about his time in Cleveland and he is concentrating on his future with his new team. He added that he plans to “play my heart out and show the Lakers why I should be here long term.”

There’s more out of Cleveland:

LeBron James was revitalized by the trades because he knew he wouldn’t have to share the ball anymore with Thomas or Dwyane Wade, writes Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. He adds that James prefers to control as much as he can, both on and off the court, and now has the freedom to initiate the offense any time he wants. Pluto has noticed a difference in James’ play and his on-court demeanor since he found out the trades were coming on the night before the deadline.
The addition of George Hill and Larry Nance Jr. has provided the defensive spark the Cavaliers needed, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The Cavs turned in one of their best performances of the season Saturday, holding the Grizzlies to 89 points while registering 13 steals and 35 points off 23 turnovers. “Obviously G. Hill’s hands, Larry’s length and athleticism allows us to kind of keep everything at bay,” James said. “Our league is all pick and roll. So when you’ve got a point guard and a center that can play two on two and the other three can kind of stay at bay, it helps out everybody.”
The Cavaliers would be very interested if the Spurs decide to part with star forward Kawhi Leonard, writes Sam Amico of AmicoHoops. Leonard reportedly has a strained relationship with the organization related to his lingering quad injury. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski revealed this week that Leonard has been medically cleared to play, but is choosing to sit out until the pain subsides. Amico speculates that Cleveland would be willing to give up the unprotected pick it owns from Brooklyn as the centerpiece of a deal for Leonard.