San Antonio Spurs Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Spurs Sign Pau Gasol To Two-Year Deal

July 14th, 2016 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 14, 10:34am: The Spurs have officially signed Gasol, the team confirmed today in a press release.

JULY 4, 1:48pm: While some contract details still have to be finalized, the Spurs and Gasol are in agreement, reports David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter links). Gasol’s new two-year deal will be worth $30MM, with a player option for the second year, tweets ESPN’s Marc Stein.

1:39pm: The Spurs are finalizing an agreement to bring aboard free agent big man Pau Gasol, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. While the Raptors, Trail Blazers, and Timberwolves had been among the teams in the hunt for Gasol, San Antonio was viewed as the frontrunner for the Spaniard after missing out on Kevin Durant.

Gasol, who signed with the Bulls in 2014, declined a third-year player option that would have paid him $7,769,520 in 2016/17 if he had opted into the final year of his previous contract. The former third overall pick continued to be productive during his time in Chicago, averaging 16.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game last season, and earning All-Star nods in each of the last two years.

The Spurs have long been viewed as a potential fit for Gasol, one that even Pau’s brother has advocated for. Back in April, Marc Gasol advised his brother to sign with San Antonio. With Tim Duncan leaning strongly toward retirement, San Antonio reportedly pursued Pau heavily, making him a top priority when it became clear Durant wouldn’t become a Spur.

While San Antonio was aggressive in its pursuit of Gasol, the Spurs weren’t necessarily a slam-dunk choice. According to Wojnarowski, Pau may have received offers in the $20MM-per-year range from other suitors, including the Blazers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Southwest Notes: Duncan, Finch, Grizzlies

July 13th, 2016 at 7:41pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Newly retired Tim Duncan penned a letter, which was posted to the Spurs‘ official website, expressing his gratitude for how teammates, opponents and fans treated him during his storied career. “If asked to write a script for my career 19 years ago, there is no way I would’ve been able to dream up this journey,” Duncan wrote. “I stand here at the end of this ride and look back in awe of what I’ve experienced. The wins and losses will be remembered, but what I’ll remember most are the people:

The fans inside the arena and out, the staff and coaches who pushed me and held me together, the teammates [and even opponents] who will be lifelong friends, sharing my ups and downs with family and close friends, and, most importantly, the snapshots of my kids growing up and reveling in watching Dad work. That is what I will cherish most. Thank you to the city of San Antonio for the love and the support over these years. Thank you to the fans all over the world.”

A true class act in every sense of the word, Duncan’s presence will certainly be missed this season. Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Rockets and assistant coach Chris Finch have parted ways, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com relays (Twitter links). Finch is highly regarded around the league and should be on numerous teams’ coaching radar for future openings, Lowe adds.
One of Grizzlies coach David Fizdale‘s first tasks will be to sort out the team’s backup point guard situation, with a number of inexperienced players likely to play major roles this season, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal writes. Speaking about Wade Baldwin and Andrew Harrison, two players expected to compete for the right to be Mike Conley‘s backup, Fizdale told Tillery, “All I know is that I’m going to let those guys play with a lot of freedom. I’m going to try to put them in situations to be successful. We’re going to trust them. There’s a chance for both of those guys to play for me during the year. I’m going to make sure they are very comfortable, very confident and that they have a lot of clarity. Let’s see what happens.“

Spurs Expanding Roles Of Anderson, Simmons

July 12th, 2016 at 8:35pm CST by Eddie Scarito

All-Euroleague center Giannis Bourousis has reached a agreement with the Greek club Panathinaikos on a two-year contract, Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops reports. The big man reportedly had contract offers from the Clippers and Warriors, with the Spurs also expressing interest, Varlas adds.
Given the Spurs‘ offseason moves thus far, it appears the team is preparing to increase the roles of Kyle Anderson and Jonathon Simmons, Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com relays. “This is a great experience for them. They get out on the court, and they’re going against quality competition in an organized setting. It’s not like you’re just playing pickup in the summer time,” assistant coach Becky Hammon said. “This is a great setting for them to be in situations like this. That’s how you build confidence in them, and that’s how coaches get confidence in them, too. If they see that putting Kyle in as a decision maker at the end of the game is a good option for us… there’s different things that we’re always trying to pick up, learn on and also stretch them mentally, and get them better as well as work on their individual game.“

Tim Duncan Announces Retirement

July 12th, 2016 at 11:42am CST by Eddie Scarito

TUESDAY, 11:42am: According to ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter), the Spurs have officially waived Duncan for salary-cap purposes. The veteran big man had been on the team’s books for $6,393,750 this year, so assuming San Antonio stretched his salary, that figure will now be $2,131,250 annually over the next three seasons.

MONDAY, 9:16am: For many basketball fans around the world, it is extremely difficult to imagine the NBA without Tim Duncan a part of it. But that’s the reality we face with the surefire Hall-of-Famer officially announcing his retirement today via the team’s website. This marks the conclusion of one of the most impressive professional careers the league has seen.

Since drafting Duncan with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, San Antonio won five championships and posted a 1,072-438 regular season record, good for a .710 winning percentage, which is the best 19-year stretch in NBA history and was the best in all of the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB over that span.

Duncan totaled 15 All-NBA Team selections, which is tied for most all-time, and 15 NBA All-Defensive Team honors, the most all-time, earning both honors in the same season 15 times, the most in league history. The 1998 Rookie of the Year was named NBA MVP twice (2002, 2003) and NBA Finals MVP three times (1999, 2003 and 2005), per the team’s release.

The 40-year-old had opted in for 2016/17, but was reportedly on the fence about continuing his career. Duncan saw his production decline this past season, as he averaged a career-low 8.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 blocks in 25.2 minutes per contest over 61 regular-season appearances. He also shot just 48.8% from the floor, his lowest mark in 10 years. Duncan finishes his career with marks of 19.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.2 blocks per contest. He owns a career shooting line of .506/.179/.696.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pistons Sign Boban Marjanovic

July 12th, 2016 at 11:08am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 12: The Pistons have officially signed Marjanovic, the team announced today in a press release. We heard on Sunday that San Antonio wouldn’t be matching Detroit’s offer sheet for the big center.

JULY 7: The Pistons are set to sign Spurs restricted free agent Boban Marjanovic to an offer sheet worth $21MM over three years, league sources tell ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter link). Once Marjanovic officially puts pen to paper and the Spurs receive the offer sheet, San Antonio will have three days to match it.

Marjanovic, who turns 28 in August, joined the Spurs a year ago, and saw a little action during his first year as an NBA player. Appearing in 54 game, the 7’3″ center averaged 9.4 minutes per contest, making the most of that playing time by averaging 5.5 PPG and 3.6 RPG to go along with a .603 FG%. The sample size was small, but Marjanovic’s production worked out to 21.0 PPG and 13.7 RPG per 36 minutes.

The Pistons’ reported contract agreements will use up all their salary cap space, but because the team’s deal with Andre Drummond is not yet official, the team still has some room to fit in Marjanovic’s offer sheet. Drummond will earn a maximum salary of $22MM+ in 2016/17, but for now, he’s still on Detroit’s books for cap hold worth just over $8MM.

As for the Spurs, they had to move Boris Diaw just to clear cap room for Pau Gasol‘s new contract, so it seems unlikely that they’ll match the Pistons’ offer sheet for Marjanovic. ESPN’s Marc Stein tweets that San Antonio is resigned to losing the Serbian center. The Spurs appear to have found a replacement already, reportedly agreeing to terms with free agent center Dewayne Dedmon.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dejounte Murray Trying To Adapt To Spurs Way

July 11th, 2016 at 10:51am CST by Eddie Scarito

Spurs 2016 first round pick Dejounte Murray is trying to maintain his identity as a basketball player while acclimating himself to San Antonio’s system, Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com relays. “They still tell me to be myself, [but] just play the right way. The Spurs way,” Murray said. “I know what type of ball they play because I’ve watched them over the years starting with the NBA team, and this is the summer league team. Everybody here is trying to get on the floor in the regular season. So it’s not hard. I’m just going out, [doing] whatever they tell me to do, and I’m learning the system practice by practice, and I’m going out and executing in the games.“

Spurs Won’t Match Offer For Boban Marjanovic

July 10th, 2016 at 6:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs have decided not to match the three-year, $21MM offer sheet the Pistons gave to center Boban Marjanovic, tweets David Mayo of MLive. Marjanovic should serve as a backup to Andre Drummond, whom Detroit expects to sign later this summer.

The 7’3″ Serbian native played sparingly during his first NBA season after signing with the Spurs last summer. He averaged 9.4 minutes over 54 games, but made an impact with 5.5 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting better than 60%.

Marjonic became expendable in San Antonio with the additions of Pau Gasol and Dewayne Dedmon.

Jazz Acquire Boris Diaw From Spurs

July 8th, 2016 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 12:38pm: Diaw is officially a member of the Jazz, according to the team, which issued a press release to announce its trade with the Spurs. Utah acquires Diaw, a 2022 second-round pick, and cash considerations for the rights to Hanlan.

TUESDAY, 3:49pm: The Spurs and the Jazz have reached an agreement on a trade that will send Boris Diaw to Utah, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). San Antonio had been working to trade Diaw in a deal that cleared cap room for Pau Gasol, so the Jazz won’t be sending out any salary in the swap. Instead, as Wojnarowski tweets, the Spurs will get the rights to 2015 second-round pick Olivier Hanlan, who spent last season playing overseas.

Diaw, 34, had spent the last four-plus seasons in San Antonio, serving as a rotational player for the perennially-contending Spurs. He played just 18.2 minutes per game in 2015/16, matching a career low, but was solid when he was on the floor, averaging 6.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 2.3 APG, and posting a .527 FG%.

In Utah, Diaw will be joining an increasingly intriguing roster that will include offseason additions George Hill and Joe Johnson. Utah already has a solid young foundation in place, with Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert, Dante Exum, and Rodney Hood among the club’s players under contract. The Jazz have supplemented those core pieces this offseason with some solid veteran acquisitions, and should easily be in playoff contention next season.

The Jazz should have the cap room necessary to absorb Diaw’s $7MM salary without making any other notable moves, while for the Spurs, clearing that figure from their cap will allow the team to finalize its agreement with Gasol. San Antonio could have waived Diaw last week and saved $4MM in cap room, since his $7MM salary was only guaranteed for $3MM at that point. However, the Spurs opted to keep him, and were able to clear his entire salary while adding Hanlan to their lengthy list of draft-and-stash players.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Notes: Timberwolves, Wizards, Randolph

July 7th, 2016 at 1:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Timberwolves offered veteran small forward Luol Deng a three-year contract at $12MM per season, according to Darren Wolfson of KSTP Radio (Twitter link). Head coach and president of basketball operations Tim Thobideau refused to fully guarantee the third year, Wolfson adds. In the end, the Timberwolves didn’t come close to signing Deng, as the former Heat starter agreed to a four-year, $72MM contract with the Lakers.

In other news regarding free agency:

The Wizards have interest in re-signing shooting guard Alan Anderson and will meet with him this weekend, league sources told J. Michael of CSNmidlatlantic.com (Twitter links). The meeting is expected to take place in Las Vegas, Michael adds. Anderson, who made $4MM last season, appeared in just 13 games with the Wizards after undergoing a second surgery on his left ankle. The previous season, he played in 74 games with the Nets and averaged 7.4 points in 23.6 minutes.
Shooting guard Brandon Paul is drawing major interest around the league after some strong performances for the Hornets’ summer-league team, Sportando tweets. He’s averaging 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds through four games in the Orlando Summer League. The 6’4” Paul went undrafted in 2013 out of the University of Illinois and has been playing for a Spanish league team, FIATC Joventut.
Forward Anthony Randolph will remain in Europe and sign a one-year deal with Spain’s Real Madrid, a source told Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Randolph received interest from the Mavericks this summer, Spears adds. The contract will be the $1.5MM-$2MM range, international journalist David Pick tweets. The 6’11” Randolph hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2013/14 season, when he appeared in 43 games with the Nuggets.
Power forward Willie Reed has drawn interest from the Warriors, Spurs, Heat, Thunder, Timberwolves and Pacers, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. Reed, an unrestricted free agent, averaged 4.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 10.9 minutes over 39 games with the Nets last season.
Free agent center Robert Sacre, who played the last four seasons with the Lakers, has drawn interest from the Timberwolves and Rockets, Wolfson reports in a separate tweet.

Northwest Notes: Diaw, Rush, Hill, Mudiay

July 6th, 2016 at 5:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jazz center Rudy Gobert believes “something good is going to happen” in Utah after the trade for Boris Diaw, relays Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. The Spurs were looking to deal the versatile veteran to create cap room to sign Pau Gasol, and Utah jumped at the opportunity. “He understands the game very well,” Gobert said of his fellow Frenchman. “He’s like a point guard in a big man’s body. It’s like having another coach on the floor. It’s great. I’m very excited.” Diaw, 34, will make $6.5MM next season and a non-guaranteed $7MM for 2017/18.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Several other teams were interested in Warriors swingman Brandon Rush, who agreed to sign with the Timberwolves today, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. The Hornets, Knicks and Wizards all wanted to add the 31-year-old free agent, and the Warriors tried to keep him in Golden State.
The Wolves have “kicked the tires” on Pacers big man Jordan Hill, tweets John Krawczynski of The Associated Press. They haven’t reached the serious negotiation phase yet, but that could change now that Rush has been signed.
Nuggets point guard Emmanuel Mudiay plans to join the effort to get Dwyane Wade to come to Denver, tweets Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. The Nuggets held a meeting with Wade earlier today.