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Free Agent Stock Watch 2018: San Antonio Spurs

May 4th, 2018 at 9:00pm CST by Austin Kent

The fate of the Spurs is in the hands of Kawhi Leonard and it’s hard to get a clear read on his current relationship with the franchise. With Leonard, a savvy veteran core, and a world-class coaching staff, the Spurs are capable of competing in the West. Without him, however, the forecast in San Antonio is considerably more bleak, and that impacts everything, including the club’s pending free agency decisions.

Given the franchise’s track record of stability, I’d posit that Leonard returns at full health next season and this entire debacle gets chalked up to a superstar-level player lacking faith in an organization’s medical staff mandated to prod him back into action as soon as reasonably possible.

While much of the disappointment around the team this year can be traced back to this one isolated case of melodrama, that shouldn’t veil the fact that the Spurs – who’ve been ancient for over a decade now – are looking older than ever. Is a major shakeup right around the bend? That may be the case with or without Leonard eventually, but in 2018/19 at least, we can expect something along the lines of the status quo.

Kyle Anderson, SF, 24 (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $6MM deal in 2014
Like any good Spurs prospect, Anderson slowly marinated in winning culture for three years before taking a leap in the final year of his rookie contract. The versatile forward thrived in the minutes made available by the injury to Leonard and could draw interest as a capable, multifaceted young asset on the open market this summer. San Antonio has some flexibility to match a raise if Anderson’s camp goes out and gets one — the Spurs may have no other choice if they end up needing to consider a full roster reboot anyway.

Davis Bertans, PF, 25 (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $2MM deal in 2016
Although he didn’t play major minutes on a consistent basis for the Spurs in 2017/18, Bertans established himself as a player who could contribute when given an opportunity. The stretch four isn’t likely to command a significant price tag as a restricted free agent, so San Antonio could probably lock him in as an affordable, yet capable rotation piece in an effort to add depth to an aging frontcourt.

Bryn Forbes, SG, 24 (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $2MM deal in 2016
With much of San Antonio’s rotation planted firmly in their late-30s, competent young players that can be locked in to affordable deals are a special commodity. In Forbes, the club has a combo guard capable of instant offense off the bench. The MSU product could generate interest from other teams looking to add fresh legs and a potent long ball, but the Spurs should have enough financial flexibility to match anything within reason.

Rudy Gay, PF, 31 (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $17MM deal in 2017
An Achilles injury forced Gay into signing a short-term “prove-it” deal with the Spurs last summer and the combo forward appears to have done just that. Still, while Gay performed admirably in a reduced role with his new franchise, it’s hard to imagine he’d garner much interest on the open market given his age and relatively underwhelming portfolio as a big investment. Gay looked solid as a supplementary player for the Spurs in 2017/18 and seems to be content. Given that there won’t be a long line of teams interested in overpaying for the 31-year-old in 2018, accepting the $9MM player option for next season may be Gay’s best bet.

Danny Green, SG, 31 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $40MM deal in 2015
While Green’s calling card has become ever more important in today’s NBA, there’s no denying that the three-point specialist benefited from perfect timing the last time he hit free agency. Green could conceivably turn down his 2018/19 player option worth $10MM next season in the hopes of landing a modest raise on a lucrative short-term deal like J.J. Redick did last summer, but the former bit player could also play things safe and continue to enjoy his last haul.

Joffrey Lauvergne, C, 26 (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $3MM deal in 2017
Lauvergne has seen his role decrease as he’s bounced from destination to destination over the last three seasons, but he remains a vaguely intriguing reserve asset despite the fact that he’ll turn 27 before next season. This summer, the big man’s best option to stick around in the league long-term might be to accept his 2018/19 player option and battle his way into a bigger role in San Antonio’s frontcourt. If he does that, he could open more opportunities for himself.

Tony Parker, PG, 36 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $56MM deal in 2014
The Spurs have consistently paid their veteran point guard eight-digit salaries for the past decade and while his place in the upper echelon of franchise history is secure, the organization doesn’t face any pressure to sign him to a bloated lifetime achievement contract as he enters the twilight of his career. Parker handled a demotion to the second unit professionally this year and has previously said that he’d like to play 20 seasons. That said, if indications that the team’s culture is going south are true, there may not be much of a point to keeping the band together.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Spurs Notes: Leonard, Ginobili, Parker, Gasol

April 25th, 2018 at 9:09am CST by Arthur Hill

A meeting with Kawhi Leonard will be the Spurs’ top priority of the offseason, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN. Head coach Gregg Popovich is expected to lead the session as the team tries to determine whether it can work through a dispute with its top player and forge a long-term relationship.

An MVP candidate last year, Leonard was limited to nine games this season by a lingering quad injury. He was cleared to return by team doctors, but not by his personal physicians in New York, where he made two extended visits during the season. Rumors persisted of disharmony between Leonard and the organization, and they intensified when he opted not to join the team for its playoff series.

“Kawhi, everybody asks questions, but he’s still here,” Danny Green said after last night’s season-ending loss at Golden State. “He’s still locked in. He’s a part of the team until things change.”

This summer’s meeting will go a long way for the Spurs in deciding whether to offer Leonard a supermax extension valued at about $219MM over five years. Complicating matters, Wright notes, are divorce proceedings between Peter Holt, the team’s former chairman and CEO, and Juliana Hawn Holt, the current chairman and co-CEO, which could affect any major financial decisions for the organization.

Wright offers more news about possible changes coming in San Antonio:

Manu Ginobili is signed for $2.5MM next season, but isn’t sure if he’ll return. Ginobili, who will turn 41 in July, plans to make the decision sometime this summer. “As I’ve done it the last two or three seasons, I’ll sit back, relax and, after two or three months, see if I feel retired or not,” he said. “I like to let it season a little bit, to see how I feel. Don’t expect news until July, probably. I just don’t know. I let a month, two months go by and see how I feel. I’m not the type of guy who makes decisions on the fly, and when you are upset, hurt or whatever.”
Tony Parker, who turns 36 next month, is headed toward free agency after 17 years with the Spurs. He has expressed a desire to return to the team, but will probably have to accept a significant pay cut after making $15.4MM this season. “I said already I want to keep playing,” Parker stated. “I’m happy I don’t have those retirement parties. I want to keep playing, and we’ll see if it’s in San Antonio. Everybody knows I would love to stay here. But free agency is always crazy, so we’ll see.”
Pau Gasol, 37, expressed a desire to play another three to four seasons. He is under contract for $16.8MM next year, with a non-guaranteed $16MM in 2019/20.
Green [$10MM for next season], Rudy Gay [$8.8MM] and Joffrey Lauvergne [$1.7MM] all have a June 29 deadline to exercise their player options. “This organization is a big part of me,” Green said, “and I would love to play here again, would love to come back. But things get interesting in free agency.”

Injury Updates: Mitchell, Embiid, Turner, Lauvergne

April 18th, 2018 at 4:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Donovan Mitchell will be a game-time decision for the Jazz tonight, according to Kyle Goon of The Salt Lake Tribune. Mitchell, who stubbed a toe during the second half of the series opener with Oklahoma City, plans to go through warm-ups before deciding if he can play.

“If I’m limping or whatever, if I’m out there kinda trying to adjust and not playing right like my normal self, that will dictate it,” he said. “That was really my first time going at it since the game. … I’m waiting to see what I feel right before the game, so we’ll go from there.”

Mitchell, who is listed as questionable for tonight’s contest, was able to return to Sunday’s game after the injury, but has been limited at practice this week. He is Utah’s leading scorer at 20.5 points per game and posted 27 in the series opener.

There’s more injury-related news to pass along:

The Sixers are listing Joel Embiid as doubtful for Game 3, the team announced on Twitter. Coach Brett Brown said Embiid, who is recovering from March 31 facial surgery, was able to handle contact “quite well” in Tuesday’s practice, relays Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia (Twitter link). “He did a little bit of contact,” Brown said. “Not much, but a little. Got up and down and scripted some plays. But really not much more than that.” Embiid will be evaluated again at tomorrow’s shootaround (Twitter link).
Trail Blazers guard Evan Turner is questionable for Game 3 after suffering a bruised toe last night against the Pelicans, reports Jason Quick of NBC Sports Northwest. Turner was kicked in his big toe during a scramble for a loose ball and was limping after the game. Jusuf Nurkic, who left Tuesday’s game with a leg bruise, is expected to be OK.
The Spurs are listing Joffrey Lauvergne as out for Game 3 because of “personal business,” with no explanation of what that involves, relays Cody McCrary of The San Antonio Express-News.
The Timberwolves will be without rookie center Justin Patton tonight because of a sore left foot, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

Spurs Notes: Leonard, Popvich, Gay, Lauvergne

September 30th, 2017 at 9:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

The right quadriceps injury that might keep Kawhi Leonard sidelined through the preseason is a carryover from last season, writes Melissa Rohlin of The San Antonio Express-News. The Spurs issued a press release today explaining that Leonard is in a rehab program for quadriceps tendinopathy, with coach Gregg Popovich noting that the All-Star forward’s recovery has gone slower than anticipated. He added that it is not related to the ankle injury Leonard suffered in the playoffs.

Although the team isn’t sure when Leonard might be ready, Popovich offered hope that he might be back before the regular season starts. “They are still rehabbing his thigh,” the coach said. “He will probably miss the beginning of preseason or a good deal of preseason. We are not going to put a timetable on it. But he is working on it, and we will get him back as soon as we can.”

There’s more tonight from San Antonio:

Popovich, who was one of the pioneers in resting healthy players, supports the NBA Board of Governors’ move to allow commissioner Adam Silver to fine teams who take similar action, relays Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Teams can be docked up to $100K if they hold players out of nationally televised games. “The NBA is trying to make the game great for players, for fans and they’ve been very fair,” Popovich said. “Owners, coaches, general managers, the league have all been great about sharing information and trying to figure out ways to take care of the players and, at the same time, make sure it’s a great experience for everybody. So we are all on the same page.”
Free agent addition Rudy Gay was among the most impressive players in this week’s scrimmage, Orsborn writes in a separate piece. Gay delighted the coaching staff with his ability to take the ball strong to the basket after having surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon in January. “He has surprised all of us by being ready so quickly, so that’s great,” Popovich said. “He will have to get a little bit of rust off. But you can tell this guy is a basketball player. At both ends of the floor, he’s got a great basketball mind.”
The Spurs have also been impressed by Joffrey Lauvergne, who signed a two-year deal in July, Osborn adds in the same story. The French center, who spent time with the Thunder and Bulls last season, is expected to be a primary backup to Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge. “His offensive awareness has been really good as far as choosing when to try to score, when to kick the ball, play with his teammates on defense,” Popovich said. “Rebounding-wise, he’s very willing. He’s got a good aggressiveness to him.”

Spurs Sign Joffrey Lauvergne

July 18th, 2017 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 18, 1:05pm: The Spurs have officially signed Lauvergne, the team confirmed today in a press release.

JULY 10, 2:00pm: The Spurs have reached a two-year contract agreement with free agent big man Joffrey Lauvergne, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical. The news comes on the heels of the Bulls withdrawing Lauvergne’s qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent, which will allow him to sign outright with San Antonio.

Lauvergne, a second-round pick in 2013, made his NBA debut for the Nuggets in 2014 and spent two years with the franchise before being sent to the Thunder in a trade last August. He was flipped again at this year’s trade deadline, heading to Chicago as part of a trade package in a deal that saw Oklahoma City land Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott.

Lauvergne, a 6’11” forward/center, looked like a player on the rise in 2015/16, averaging 7.9 PPG and 4.9 RPG with a .513 FG% in 59 games (17.6 MPG) for the Nuggets. However, he took a step backward last season. For the year, he recorded just 5.4 PPG and 3.6 RPG with a .440 FG% in 70 contests.

Despite his very modest production for the Bulls down the stretch, Lauvergne initially received a qualifying offer worth about $2.14MM from the team, which made him a restricted free agent. However, Chicago apparently decided that the big man wasn’t in the team’s long-term plans, allowing him to reach the open market with no restrictions over the weekend.

While details of the Spurs’ agreement with Lauvergne aren’t yet known, the club already used its full mid-level exception on Rudy Gay, leaving the $3.29MM bi-annual exception and the minimum salary exception for other free agents. San Antonio had been in need of some frontcourt depth, with Dewayne Dedmon, David Lee, and Pau Gasol all on the free agent market, though Gasol is expected to re-sign.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bulls Pull Qualifying Offer For Joffrey Lauvergne

July 8th, 2017 at 10:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls have rescinded their qualifying offer to Joffrey Lauvergne, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. The move makes him an unrestricted free agent, and Charania notes that several teams are already expressing interest.

The qualifying offer was $2,137,149 and Lauvergne had a $3,248,466 cap hold, so Chicago frees up a little bit of money by letting him go.

The Bulls acquired the third-year center/forward from Oklahoma City in a trade at the February deadline. He played 20 games with Chicago, averaging 4.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in about 12 minutes per night.

Lauvergne was selected by Memphis with the 55th pick in 2013 and was traded to Denver on draft night. He spent two years with the Nuggets before being dealt to the Thunder in 2016. He earned a little more than $1.7MM last season.

Bulls Will Extend Qualifying Offer To Lauvergne

June 28th, 2017 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls plan to make a qualifying offer to Joffrey Lauvergne, tweets David Aldridge of TNT.

The third-year forward/center came to Chicago from Oklahoma City in a five-player deal at the February deadline. He averaged 4.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in 20 games with the Bulls.

The 6’11” French native was picked 55th overall in the 2013 draft and traded to the Nuggets on draft night. He spent two years there before being dealt to the Thunder. Lauvergne made a little more than $1.7MM this season.

Nikola Mirotic Unhappy With Inactive Status

March 13th, 2017 at 2:38pm CST by Milo Taibi

After landing on the inactive list for Sunday’s game against the Celtics, Nikola Mirotic vented his frustrations to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Mirotic is a restricted free agent-to-be, and all signs point toward him parting ways with the Bulls over the offseason.

“It’s been difficult for me to understand,” Mirotic said. “Coach (Fred Hoiberg) told me I need to stay ready but didn’t give me any expectation when I can play. I know I can help those guys. Of course I’ve been inconsistent, but that’s been the whole team up and down. To be out of the rotation doesn’t make sense for me. I asked (Hoiberg) what can I do to be back in the rotation, what should I do differently? It looks like he wants to give an opportunity to the new guy on the team, Joffrey Lauvergne.”

As Mirotic alluded to, “inconsistency” appears to have hurt his value this season. The 26-year-old averaged 9.1 points on 30.2% shooting from long distance; each career-lows. Mirotic has received three consecutive DNPs, and the trend may continue through the season.

Mirotic isn’t alone in voicing criticisms of Chicago’s strategy (or lack thereof). Dwyane Wade chastised the team “experimenting” with lineups after the team’s fifth straight loss Sunday.

“I don’t know. I wish upper management could be answering the questions because I’m tired of answering them every game,” Wade said. “It’s tough, especially when you’re playing teams that’s ready for the playoffs, besides Orlando. It’s all been playoff teams and they’re ready. They know what they gotta do. We’re still…experimenting.”

Unlike Wade, a 12-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion, Mirotic’s remarks aren’t likely to move the needle. Mirotic will enter the open market following a season in which he posted career-lows in several areas. While the feeling may not be mutual with management, Mirotic has made it clear he wants to play in Chicago.

“I really wanted to stay because I came to Chicago because I wanted to play here,” Mirotic said. “For me, it was like another opportunity after the deadline. I really was focused. I was really working hard on myself to be the first guy in the weight room and working some extra shots, doing everything I was supposed to do to be ready. I was feeling much better on the floor. But they made the decision that’s been made. It’s been hard.”

Thunder Acquire Doug McDermott, Taj Gibson

February 23rd, 2017 at 6:44pm CST by ChrisCrouse

6:44pm: The deal is official, according to press releases issued by both teams.

1:44 PM: The two teams are nearing a deal that will send Payne to Chicago and both McDermott and Gibson to OKC, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). The Bulls will receive Anthony Morrow and Lauvergne in addition to Payne, while the Thunder will receive a 2018 second-round pick. Roberson is not involved in the deal.

1:28 PM: The Thunder and Bulls continue to have trade discussions regarding Doug McDermott and Taj Gibson, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays (Twitter links). Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (Twitter links) hears that the two teams are closing in on a deal that will send McDermott to OKC in exchange for Andre Roberson and Cameron Payne.

Oklahoma City has been trying to figure out what a new deal for Roberson would look like in the offseason, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (Twitter link). Roberson will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season and a trade could signal that OKC feels the price tag will be too high. A Roberson trade is not imminent, as Vincent Goodwill of Comcast Sportsnet (Twitter link) hears that the deal could simply be Payne for McDermott.

The Thunder are exploring a trade that would bring both McDermott and Gibson to the team, according to Stein. Earlier today, we learned that the Bulls have been seeking a first-round pick in exchange for Gibson for quite some time. Oklahoma City has already shipped out a pair of future first-round picks in previous deals, so the first selection the franchise can trade is its 2022 pick. If OKC is to acquire both players, Stein (Twitter link) hears that it would take Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne, and draft compensation for the Bulls to oblige.

Gibson will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. The Bulls lost Pau Gasol to free agency last season and the experience has “motivated” to get something for Gibson rather than going through the same scenario once again this summer, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune notes on Twitter.

Northwest Notes: Turner, Blazers, Lauvergne, Payne

November 23rd, 2016 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Evan Turner says it’s nice to know he’s missed in Boston, even as he struggles to find a role in Portland, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. Turner accepted a four-year, $70MM deal this summer to head to the Pacific Northwest. However, the Trail Blazers haven’t used him as a primary ballhandler the way the Celtics did, and he has found it hard to adjust to a backcourt rotation with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. “I was most definitely comfortable there [in Boston],” Turner said. “There were certain situations where there were coaches that didn’t really sort of comprehend my game, and sometimes I wasn’t always in position to be comfortable or successful. So when you finally find that mixture of great basketball and off the court and things like that, you definitely don’t take it for granted.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Blazers haven’t shown significant improvement so far despite raising their payroll from $62MM to $112MM, contends Bobby Marks of The Vertical. Portland will have a hard time shaking things up until at least December 15th when the trade restrictions expire for Turner and Festus Ezeli. Restrictions for Allen Crabbe, Meyers Leonard and Maurice Harkless will remain in effect until January 15th. Crabbe cannot be traded without his approval for a year because the Blazers matched an offer sheet from Brooklyn.
Offseason addition Joffrey Lauvergne is taking away minutes from Enes Kanter in Oklahoma City, notes Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. Lauvergne, acquired in an August trade with the Nuggets, has impressed the Thunder with a combination of defense and long-range shooting. “A lot of it’s going to be based on matchups, how the game’s going, who’s alongside of him, do we have the speed and quickness in the frontcourt,” OKC coach Billy Donovan said when asked about Kanter’s playing time. “That’s not to say the last couple of games with Enes, with his minutes, he’s not going to play more because I do think he and Steven [Adams] together is a good combination for us.”
Timberwolves forward Adreian Payne‘s option wasn’t picked up last month, but his role with the team is growing, writes Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. Payne got a chance to show what he could do after Shabazz Muhammad was sidelined with a sore knee. “Being patient is part of the NBA, being ready,” Payne said. “You just have to continue to work. Just going through this has been tough. It can break a lot of people. You just have to stay positive and continue to work.”