San Antonio Spurs Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Clippers Remain ‘Overwhelming Favorite’ To Re-Sign Chris Paul

May 29th, 2017 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

There is reportedly “mutual interest” between the Spurs and Chris Paul, and the Clippers are said to view San Antonio as a legit threat in the CP3 sweepstakes. However, that doesn’t mean the Spurs are the frontrunners to land the All-Star point guard. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Clippers remain the “overwhelming favorite” to re-sign Paul.

Appearing on CBS Sports Radio with Gary Parrish on Sunday, Wojnarowski said he has a hard time imagining Paul leaving Los Angeles. Not only can the Clippers offer more years and dollars than any other team, but CP3 also still has significant marketing opportunities in the L.A. area, Wojnarowski observes. By comparison, the Spurs appear to be more of a long shot to sign Paul.

“I’ve spent a lot of time around the Spurs this spring,” Wojnarowski said. “They would have to just tear up that entire payroll. It’s almost unlike anything the Spurs would’ve done or would do to even have a chance at him. I mean, they’d have to really gut the roster. And to do that for a 30-plus-year-old point guard, who has a couple great years left, there’s no question — I think there’s more pressure on the Clippers to have to re-sign him than for the Spurs to turn their whole franchise over to make a run at him.”

As Wojnarowski alludes to, the Spurs don’t currently have the cap room to make a run at Paul, so if they were to seriously pursue him, they’d have to move some salary, which would likely mean surrendering key pieces.

Even if San Antonio had the space to make a max offer to CP3, the team’s proposal would still fall $50MM+ short of what the Clippers could put on the table — L.A. can go up to five years (instead of four) with 8% raises (instead of 5%) for Paul. Based on a $101MM cap projection, Paul could land up to about $205MM over five years with the Clips.

Community Shootaround: Chris Paul And The Spurs

May 28th, 2017 at 9:05pm CST by marksuleymanov

After another early playoff exit with the Clippers, Chris Paul is expected to exercise his early-termination option, give up almost $24.27MM for next season and hit the free agent market. If and when he does, the Spurs have quickly come to the forefront as a possible destination for the nine-time All-Star.

There has been rumored “mutual interest” between both sides and while San Antonio has limited cap space, the Clippers view the Spurs as a serious threat for Paul’s services, per ESPN’s Marc Stein (link via Twitter). As previously noted, to make room for Paul’s hefty salary, the Spurs would likely have to renounce the rights to Patty Mills and not match an offer sheet to restricted free agent Jonathan Simmons. Additionally, Dewayne Dedmon and David Lee have player options the Spurs would likely have to renounce to swing an agreement with Paul — trading Tony Parker, LaMarcus Aldridge, or Danny Green could make space, too.

At 32 years old, Paul is still one of the best players at his position and in the NBA. Adding him to a Gregg Popovich-led Spurs could help the team — which was swept by the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals — possibly supersede Golden State in the Western Conference.

Last October, Paul said to reporters, including ESPN’s Andrew Ham, that he does not look ahead, instead prioritizing his current situation.

“And I always say this — I don’t think about things long term,” Paul said. “I think about right now. I don’t know who said it — somebody said it: The funny thing about the NBA is, everybody comes into the season pretty optimistic. You know what I mean? Everybody is like, ‘Oh, this could be our year.’ I guess it’s one of those things only time can tell.”

Six years in Los Angeles has not yielded a championship and Paul is not getting any younger. However, the Clippers, led by Doc Rivers, have always been on the verge of greatness but have fallen short each year. It will be up to Paul to decide what he wants to do.

That brings up a series of important questions: Does it make sense for the Spurs to devote a significant chunk of their cap space to Paul? Would acquiring Paul be the move that puts the Spurs over the top? Is staying with the Clippers Paul’s best best at a championship?

Share your thoughts on Paul down below!

Texas Notes: Ntilikina, Mudiay, Paul, Rockets

May 28th, 2017 at 10:24am CST by Arthur Hill

Several Mavericks executives have traveled to Europe over the past month to watch French point guard Frank Ntilikina, relays Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. At 6’5″, Ntilikina is among the bigger point guards in the draft, and he possesses athleticism and skill to go with his size. Dallas is believed to be targeting point guards after waiving Deron Williams in February so he could sign with a contender. The Mavericks hold the No. 9 pick, and Sefko expects Ntilikina to be among the players considered, along with North Carolina State’s Dennis Smith Jr., Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen and Gonzaga’s Zach Collins.

There’s more news today out of Texas:

The Mavericks have a better shot at solving their point guard problems through the draft than by trading for someone like Emmanuel Mudiay, writes Matt Mosley of The Dallas Morning News. The seventh pick in the 2015 draft, Mudiay was a heralded prospect but has experienced shooting problems through his first two NBA seasons. He is a 37% shooter from the field and was stuck behind Jameer Nelson in the Nuggets’ rotation. Mosley says Ntilikina or Markkanen would be a better gamble with the No. 9 pick.
Signing Chris Paul may not get the Spurs any closer to challenging the Warriors for Western Conference supremacy, argues Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Adding the All-Star point guard would requiring sacrificing someone like LaMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol or Danny Green in a trade, and it would destroy the salary flexibility the team has set up for next summer.
North Carolina center Kennedy Meeks was the biggest name to attend a pre-draft workout for the Rockets this week, relays Tom Miller of The Grand Forks Herald. Also at the session were Quinton Hooker of North Dakota, Paris Lee of Illinois State, JaJuan Johnson of Marquette, Kavin Gilder-Tilbury of Texas State and Tacko Fall of Central Florida, who decided to withdraw from the draft and return to school. “My agent hadn’t said anything about the Rockets’ interest,” Hooker said. “I was anticipating at least one [NBA tryout]. But for the last month, I’ve just been waiting. It was definitely a humbling experience to get that first one and show my talents.” The Rockets own picks 43 and 45 in next month’s draft.

Spurs Notes: Free Agents, Simmons, Paul, Lee

May 27th, 2017 at 7:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs’ decision on whether to pursue Chris Paul will play a role in which free agents return next season, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. The organization would have to clear a massive amount of cap space to offer Paul a max deal, which would probably mean renouncing Patty Mills and not matching an offer sheet for restricted free agent Jonathon Simmons. In addition, Dewayne Dedmon and David Lee both have player options and might also be renounced if they opt out. If the Spurs are able to sign Paul, they will have to fill out the roster using their mid-level exception and veterans minimum deals.

There’s more news out of San Antonio:

If the Spurs want to keep Simmons, they will get some help from an “arcane” rule, McDonald notes in the same story. The Gilbert Arenas provision limits first-year offers to Simmons to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which will be roughly $8.4MM next season. Of course, offer sheets can be heavily backloaded over the final two years, similar to what the Nets did with Tyler Johnson last summer. If the Spurs are operating over the cap, they won’t have the ability to spread the hit evenly over four seasons, so they could be looking at a substantial salary commitment in 2019/20 and 2020/21 for a player who turns 28 in September.
To make a realistic run at Paul, the Spurs would have to find a taker for LaMarcus Aldridge, Danny Green or Tony Parker, writes Nick Moyle of The San Antonio Express-News. That means trading them without taking back salary, which will almost certainly require giving up draft picks. Aldridge would probably be the most difficult of the three to move, as he is signed for $21.461MM for next season, along with a $22.347MM player option for 2018/19. Green will make $10MM next year, with a $10MM player option the following season. Parker is entering the final year of his contract at $15.453MM.
Lee won’t need surgery for a strained patellar tendon in his left knee, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. The injury, which Lee suffered in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, is expected to heal in about six weeks.

Rose More Likely Than Paul For The Spurs

May 26th, 2017 at 3:54pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Derrick Rose is more likely to join the Spurs than Chris Paul is, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports contends. Helin notes that the Spurs will have difficulty carving out max cap room in order to bring Paul to the team.

Adam Hanga Could Join Spurs

May 26th, 2017 at 2:27pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Adam Hanga, who won the Euroleague Defensive Player of the Year award, could come to the Spurs next season if Manu Ginobili retires, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter link). Hanga is a draft-and-stash prospect whom San Antonio drafted with the No. 59 pick in the 2011 NBA draft.

Spurs Viewed As Legitimate Threat For Chris Paul

May 26th, 2017 at 11:07am CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers view San Antonio as a serious threat to sign Chris Paul this summer, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. “Mutual interest” between Paul and the Spurs was suggested earlier this week by ESPN’s Zach Lowe, and L.A. officials see that as a concern despite San Antonio’s lack of cap space. Paul is expected to use an early-termination option and hit the free agent market. He is eligible for a five-year deal worth about $205MM from the Clippers and four years at roughly $152MM from anyone else. The Spurs only have about $10MM in cap room right now, with Dewayne Dedmon ($3MM) and David Lee ($1.6MM) both owning player options.

Timberwolves To Pursue Derrick Rose

May 24th, 2017 at 12:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves plan to target Knicks point guard Derrick Rose in free agency, reports Ian Begley of ESPN.com.

Their interest in the 28-year-old point guard stems from his connection with coach/executive Tom Thibodeau, who coached Rose for five years in Chicago, including his MVP season in 2010/11. The teams had trade talks prior to the deadline involving Rose and Ricky Rubio, although nothing was worked out. Minnesota has roughly $22MM in cap space to spend this summer.

Entering free agency for the first time in his career, Rose should be completely recovered from a meniscus tear in his left knee that ended his season in early April. It’s the latest in a string of injuries that have plagued him over the past six years, although he was able to play 66 and 64 games the past two seasons.

Rose was part of a blockbuster trade that sent him from Chicago to New York last summer, but his first season in New York was seen as a disappointment. He averaged 18 points, 4.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds, but the Knicks won just 31 games, there were persistent questions about his defense and he briefly left the team without explanation in January.

Rose has said he is willing to stay in New York, but there have been conflicting reports about the team’s interest in keeping him.

“He enjoyed playing here even with the losses, which of course surprises us because he’s been on some very successful teams,” said Knicks president Phil Jackson. “But he wants to redeem himself as a player. Which I like that attitude. I like who Derrick represents as himself. He’s very direct about taking on a big challenge.”

Begley adds that San Antonio may also be a potential landing spot for Rose, depending what happens with other free agent point guards.

Rose told reporters this week that winning, not money, will be the priority in selecting his next team.

‘Mutual Interest’ Between Chris Paul, Spurs?

May 24th, 2017 at 11:23am CST by Arthur Hill

There may be substance behind the rumors that Chris Paul would consider joining the Spurs, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. As a guest on a podcast with ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz, Lowe suggested there is “mutual interest” between the parties.

Paul is considered certain to exercise his early-termination option and give up nearly $24.27MM for next season. He has a June 29th deadline to make that decision. Paul would be eligible for a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $205MM if he remains with the Clippers.

However, at 32, he may put a greater value on a shot at a championship, and San Antonio, which reached the Western Conference finals this year, could improve his chances.

Money would be a major impediment if Paul decides to go that route, as any team other than L.A. would be limited to an offer of four years at about $152MM. Then there’s the matter of cap room. With Pau Gasol expected to opt in for 2017/18, San Antonio only has about $10MM to spend, a figure that could decrease if Dewayne Dedmon ($3MM) and David Lee ($1.6MM) both decide to opt in for another year.

If Paul’s interest is sincere, it could prompt the Spurs to try to shed some salary before the July 1st start of free agency, especially considering their fragile point guard situation. Incumbent starter Tony Parker suffered a ruptured left quadriceps tendon in this year’s playoffs and isn’t guaranteed to be ready for the start of next season. He turned 35 in May and has one year left on his contract, so he doesn’t figure to be in the organization’s long-term plans. Backup Patty Mills is headed toward free agency, and Dejounte Murray played just 38 games as a rookie.

If Paul does consider leaving the Clippers, he will be among the most highly sought-after free agents on the market. A nine-time All-Star, he remains among the top point guards in the league, averaging 18.1 points and 9.2 assists this season.

Spurs Notes: Ginobili, Hanga, Gasol, Mills

May 23rd, 2017 at 12:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The end of the Spurs’ playoff run puts Manu Ginobili in a familiar position of deciding whether he wants to return for another season, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Ginobili, who will turn 40 in July, received two standing ovations late in Monday’s game from Spurs fans, who understood that it may have been his last night in the NBA. After 15 seasons, Ginobili said he will be in no hurry to decide if he wants another one. “I always wanted to let it sink in for three weeks, four weeks, whatever,” Ginobili said. “Then I will sit with my wife and see how it feels.”

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich recognized the magnitude of the moment, giving Ginobili his first start in three years. Ginobili responded with a 15-point, seven-assist performance that showed he might still have a future in the NBA. “It may or may not be the last game he ever plays in,” Popovich said. “I did not want to miss the opportunity to honor him in front of our home fans.”

There’s more news as the offseason begins in San Antonio:

Ginobili is among several veteran free agents on the roster, and the Spurs expect most of them to return next season, McDonald notes in the same story. Patty Mills and Jonathon Simmons will both be free agents this summer, although Simmons will be restricted, and Pau Gasol, David Lee and Dewayne Dedmon all have player options for 2017/18. LaMarcus Aldridge said the team still has unfinished business to address. “To get here with so many new guys and so much new transition going on, it’s not a bad season,” he said. “I don’t think guys are satisfied with it. To get to the conference finals wasn’t our goal.”
If Ginobili retires, the Spurs will consider bringing over Adam Hanga to replace him, tweets international basketball writer David Pick. The Hungarian swingman was named Defensive Player of the Year in the Euroleague. San Antonio has owned his rights since drafting him with the 59th choice in 2011.
Gasol sounds like his mind is already made up about returning, relays Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Gasol, who turns 37 in July, signed a two-year contract last summer that includes a nearly $16.2MM option for next season. “I look forward to continuing to grow” in San Antonio’s system, he said after Monday’s game.
Mills plans to consider his options carefully before free agency starts, tweets Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. Mills, 28, has spent the past six years in San Antonio and made close to $3.6MM this season.