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Spurs Pick Up 2017/18 Option On Kyle Anderson

October 21st, 2016 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs had one rookie scale team option decision to make in advance of October 31 this year, and the team announced that decision today. Unsurprisingly, San Antonio has exercised its 2017/18 option on forward Kyle Anderson, guaranteeing his salary for the fourth year of his rookie contract.

[Related: Rookie scale team option decisions]

Anderson, 23, has posted modest numbers during his first two NBA seasons, averaging 4.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 1.6 APG in 78 regular season contests in 2015/16. However, multiple offseason reports have suggested that the Spurs believe the former 30th overall pick is ready to take on a larger role in the team’s rotation in 2016/17.

As the final pick in the 2014 first round, Anderson also comes at a bargain rate for the Spurs, who are paying him just $1.192MM this season. Anderson’s fourth-year option for 2017/18 will pay him $2.152MM, which represents a nice raise, but is still just a small fraction of the Spurs’ cap, which should easily exceed $100MM.

With his option for ’17/18 now locked in, Anderson will be eligible for a contract extension during the 2017 offseason, and would reach restricted free agency in the summer of 2018.

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LaMarcus Aldridge Says He’s Happy With Spurs

October 20th, 2016 at 2:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge has been the subject of some trade rumors and speculation this week, with those reports suggesting that the team would only consider a deal if it’s not a championship contender this season, and only because Aldridge may not be thrilled with his role in San Antonio. Addressing the rumors today during an appearance on The Jim Rome Show, Aldridge dismissed the idea that he’s unhappy with the Spurs (link via Jeff Garcia of Spurs Zone).

“We made history last year. They’ve incorporated me into the family. Try to make me one of the big pieces,” Aldridge said. “I’m winning. Of course I’m happy. That’s why I don’t buy into the rumors. I feel like I do my job here and I feel like I’ve done everything that they’ve asked. That’s why I haven’t bought into the rumors.”

Multiple reports earlier this week indicated that Aldridge’s camp may be unhappy that he has become Kawhi Leonard‘s wingman in San Antonio, rather than vice versa, but the former Blazer downplayed that idea. Aldridge said that he’s had positive conversations with head coach Gregg Popovich and positive feedback from his teammates, adding that Popovich is putting him in positions where he can become more of a leader for the club.

It comes as no surprise that Aldridge would attempt to quell this week’s trade rumors before they gain any real momentum. Based on those earlier reports, some long-term uncertainty has crept into the relationship between the Spurs and Aldridge, but it’s hardly a combustible situation. By all indications, even if the Spurs are perhaps willing to consider a trade down the road, they don’t intend to do so anytime soon. A strong first half by Aldridge and the Spurs could quiet the trade whispers entirely as the 2017 deadline approaches.

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2016/17 NBA Over/Unders: Southwest Division

October 19th, 2016 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2016/17 NBA regular season will get underway next week, which means it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign. With the help of the lines from offshore betting site Bovada.lv, we’re going to run through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division, and have you weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic. Having looked at the Atlantic, Northwest, and Central divisions so far, we’re moving on to the Southwest today…

San Antonio Spurs

(App users, click here for Spurs poll)

Houston Rockets

(App users, click here for Rockets poll)

Memphis Grizzlies

(App users, click here for Grizzlies poll)

Dallas Mavericks

(App users, click here for Mavericks poll)

New Orleans Pelicans

(App users, click here for Pelicans poll)

Previous voting results:

Atlantic:

  • Boston Celtics (52.5 wins): Under (54.59%)
  • Toronto Raptors (50.5 wins): Over (54.63%)
  • New York Knicks (38.5 wins): Over (71.41%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (23.5 wins): Under (54.62%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (20.5 wins): Under (60.74%)

Northwest:

  • Utah Jazz (49 wins): Under (68.72%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (45.5 wins): Over (69.92%)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (43.5 wins): Over (65.71%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (40.5 wins): Over (50.11%)
  • Denver Nuggets (37 wins): Under (68.81%)

Central:

  • Cleveland Cavaliers (56.5 wins): Over (66.5%)
  • Detroit Pistons (44.5 wins): Over (55.03%)
  • Indiana Pacers (44.5 wins): Over (73.06%)
  • Chicago Bulls (38.5 wins): Over (61.9%)
  • Milwaukee Bucks (34.5 wins): Over (67.48%)
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Latest On LaMarcus Aldridge, Spurs

October 19th, 2016 at 12:59pm CST by Luke Adams

On Tuesday, we rounded up a handful of reports which suggested that the possibility of a LaMarcus Aldridge trade during the 2016/17 season isn’t out of the question. According to those reports, Aldridge isn’t believed to be entirely happy with his situation in San Antonio, and the team is open to the idea of moving him.

Just as Tuesday’s Rudy Gay trade rumor resulted in several follow-up and reaction pieces, which we passed along this morning, the Aldridge whispers have led to some additional reporting. Let’s check in on the highlights…

  • Spurs sources tell Jeff McDonald and Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News that no trade talks involving Aldridge have occurred with any team. Of course, none of Tuesday’s reports claimed that San Antonio had actually engaged in trade discussions yet.
  • According to the Express-News duo, league sources believe the Spurs will be tempted to gauge Aldridge’s value on the trade market if the season unexpectedly goes south. The Spurs are still expected to play out the season with their core intact, but might have a change of plans if they don’t feel like a championship is within reach.
  • While the Spurs may not be looking to trade Aldridge, the honeymoon period of the marriage is “clearly over,” writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Kyler hears that Aldridge’s role as Kawhi Leonard‘s wingman may be a source of frustration for the ex-Blazer, since he signed in San Antonio expected to be the primary guy. Still, according to Kyler, no one believes the situation is “combustible” at this point, even if Aldridge’s long-term future in San Antonio isn’t entirely clear.
  • If Aldridge isn’t happy in San Antonio, where he’s making north of $20MM per year for a 67-win team, that doesn’t reflect well on him, says Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. However, Deveney notes that the big man hasn’t publicly expressed any dissatisfaction at all.
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Spurs Open To Moving LaMarcus Aldridge

October 18th, 2016 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The whispers on LaMarcus Aldridge‘s potential availability in San Antonio are getting a little louder, with Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News reporting that the Spurs are open to moving Aldridge in a trade, should the right deal surface.

While most teams are “open” to moving most players if the offer is enticing enough, this isn’t the first time there have been rumblings about Aldridge’s name possibly being on the trade block. Last week, ESPN’s Zach Lowe predicted that Aldridge’s name would surface in trade talks, particularly if the Spurs don’t outperform expectations, though he framed that as one of 30 “crazy predictions,” cautioning that the odds were against a deal.

However, ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan has heard some trade rumors of her own on Aldridge, revealing during an appearance on CSNNE’s Early Edition that sources have told her the big man may not finish the season in San Antonio. According to MacMullan, the marriage between Aldridge and the Spurs hasn’t worked out quite as well so far as either side has hoped.

Young echoes that sentiment, writing in his piece that sources close to the situation believe Aldridge may not be happy at the moment. According to Young, the Spurs are believed to have pitched him on a role as their primary offensive weapon when they signed him, and that hasn’t exactly occurred, with Kawhi Leonard assuming that role instead.

Whether or not there’s a little friction behind the scenes in San Antonio, the Spurs aren’t likely to make a major move in the immediate future. Aldridge could become a more viable trade candidate closer to the deadline, but the team figures to open the season with the former Blazer playing a major role.

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NBA GMs Weigh In On 2016/17 Season

October 18th, 2016 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

NBA.com has completed its annual survey of NBA general managers, asking each of the league’s 30 GMs an array of questions about the league’s top teams, players, and coaches. As John Schuhmann of NBA.com details in his piece announcing the results, it comes as little surprise that NBA GMs are just as bullish on the Cavaliers‘ and Warriors‘ chances in 2016/17 as the rest of us are — those are the only two teams GMs predicted to become this season’s NBA champion, with Golden State getting 69% of the vote and Cleveland getting 31%.

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

  • LeBron James led the way in votes for 2016/17’s MVP award, but Karl-Anthony Towns was the clear choice for the player most GMs would want to start a franchise with today.
  • The Warriors were the only team to receive more than two votes for which team made the best offseason moves — Golden State was the runaway winner at 83.3%, largely due to the signing of Kevin Durant. The addition of Durant was easily voted the move most likely to make the biggest impact this season, and it was also viewed as the most surprising move of the summer, just ahead of Dwyane Wade joining the Bulls.
  • The Jazz‘s trade for George Hill received at least one vote for the move likely to have the biggest impact, and it was the winner for the most underrated player acquisition of the offseason.
  • Dejounte Murray (Spurs), Kris Dunn (Timberwolves), and Patrick McCaw (Warriors) were considered the biggest steals of the draft by GMs, who voted Milos Teodosic and Sergio Llull as the top international players not currently in the NBA.
  • NBA general managers view Tom Thibodeau as the new coach most likely to make an immediate positive impact on his new team, and think Chris Paul is the player most likely to become a future NBA head coach.
  • The rules that GMs wants to see changed or modified include the draft lottery system, the number of timeouts per game, and intentional fouling.
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Spurs Add Grant, Mensah-Bonsu To Staff

October 15th, 2016 at 1:02pm CST by Eddie Scarito
  • The Spurs have hired former Cavs GM Chris Grant as a team scout, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reports. During his time in Cleveland, Grant was responsible for drafting Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, as well as selecting Anthony Bennett with the No. 1 overall pick.
  • The Spurs made another addition to their staff, hiring former NBA player Pops Mensah-Bonsu as an advance pro scout, international journalist David Pick relays (on Twitter).
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Bryn Forbes' Shooting Makes Him An Appealing Option

October 13th, 2016 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams
  • The Spurs have five players battling for one roster spot, which means Bryn Forbes will have to beat out a handful of other camp invitees to make the team’s 15-man squad. However, as Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News outlines, Forbes’ perimeter shooting makes him an intriguing option for the team.
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Popovich Encouraged Boban To Accept Offer Sheet

October 11th, 2016 at 10:38am CST by Luke Adams

Only one restricted free agent in the NBA this season technically signed an offer sheet with a rival team that his previous team didn’t match. That player was Boban Marjanovic, who left the Spurs to sign a three-year, $21MM deal with the Pistons. And according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News, it took a push from head coach Gregg Popovich for Marjanovic to accept that offer, since his first choice was to remain with the Spurs.

“He’s such a good kid, at some point I had to work to get him to understand that $21 million was different than $3 million,” Popovich said, per McDonald. “I said, ‘Get your ass out of here. Go. You’ve got to do it.’ But he felt bad.”

“We knew he was gone,” Popovich added. “It happens to every team. You lose a guy because you have to pay people and you can’t pay them all.”

The Spurs used up their cap room this summer when they signed Pau Gasol to a two-year contract, leaving the team unable to match the Pistons’ offer for Marjanovic. San Antonio could have used its room exception to retain the restricted free agent, but as Popovich notes, such a deal would have only paid about $3MM per year, far less than Detroit offered.

In his rookie season with the Spurs, Marjanovic averaged 5.5 PPG and 3.6 RPG, despite appearing in just 9.4 minutes per contest (54 games). Based on the contract he received from Detroit, the 28-year-old figures to have a more significant role with his new team. While he admits that he would have liked to remain a Spur, Marjanovic says he thinks he “made a good decision” to sign with the Pistons, per McDonald.

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Community Shootaround: Duncan, KG, And Kobe

October 7th, 2016 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Kobe Bryant‘s final season was one of the NBA’s top stories throughout the 2015/16 season, capped with a 60-point performance in the Lakers’ regular-season finale against the Jazz. However, Bryant wasn’t the only longtime NBA star who called it a career in 2016. Tim Duncan announced his retirement in the summer, and Kevin Garnett did the same this fall.

Bryant, Duncan, and Garnett are three of the most accomplished players of the last two decades, having combined for four MVP awards, 11 NBA titles, and an incredible 48 All-Star appearances. While they were hardly at their best in 2015/16, their career résumés prior to last season were strong enough to ensure they’ll become Hall-of-Famers as soon as they become eligible.

In a community roundtable, the basketball writers at SI.com look at the three retired stars and attempt to determine which one they’ll miss the most. The trio had very different styles of play, with Garnett defined by his intensity on the court, while Duncan was more of a steady, calm presence in San Antonio. As for Kobe, his production was more unpredictable than that of the two forwards, but he also had the ability to put up 50 points on any given night.

As we enter the first NBA season since 1994/95 in which none of these three players will take the court, which one will you miss the most? Bryant, Duncan, or Garnett? Take to the comments section below to weigh in and share your thoughts on the three retiring stars.

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