Spurs Want To Trade Up In Draft
Spurs Considering Signing 2011 Draftee Davis Bertans
The Spurs are considering bringing 2011 draft-and-stash prospect Davis Bertans stateside, sources with knowledge of the situation tell David Pick of Bleacher Report. According to Pick, no agreement between the two sides has been reached, but the Latvian small forward – who is an excellent shooter – would “give strong consideration” to heading to San Antonio for a two-year deal worth $4MM. Bertans’ NBA opt-out, which expires in mid-July, is worth the standard $650K. San Antonio originally acquired Bertans’ NBA rights in the 2011 draft-night trade that sent George Hill to Indiana for Kawhi Leonard.
RealGM Previews Spurs' Offseason
- Keith P. Smith of RealGM.com previews the Spurs‘ summer, noting that the team’s offseason direction will hinge on whether Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili retire or decide to return for one more year.
Bryn Forbes To Work Out For Spurs
- According to Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter link), Michigan State guard Bryn Forbes has also been busy in recent weeks, having worked out for the Celtics, Magic, Hawks, Bulls, Wizards, and Lakers in addition to four more teams that were previously reported. Forbes still has workouts with the Pistons and Spurs on his schedule.
Western Notes: Conley, Bogdanovic, Jazz Arena
There is growing concern in the Grizzlies‘ front office that point guard Mike Conley might leave the team in free agency this summer, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now. The 28-year-old will be the top point guard on the market after spending nine years in Memphis. Begley says Grizzlies part-owner Justin Timberlake will appear in a video presentation trying to convince Conley to remain with the team. Begley presents the item as possible good news for the Knicks, but it’s equally positive for all the teams planning to pursue Conley, and very negative for Memphis, which is hoping to keep the core of its perennial playoff team together. The Grizzlies still have the advantage of being able to offer Conley a five-year contract worth about $124MM, while other teams are limited to four years in the neighborhood of $92MM.
There’s more news from the Western Conference:
- The Suns will negotiate with 2014 first-round pick Bogdan Bogdanovic now that his Turkish League season is over, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. This is the last season that Bogdanovic would be required to sign a rookie contract that would give him a salary of about $5.7MM over four years. If he waits until next offseason, Bogdanovic is free to negotiate any amount, starting with his draft year’s rookie salary scale.
- A request for $22.7MM in public funding for renovations to Utah’s Vivant Arena was approved today by the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City, writes Jasen Lee of The Deseret News. The money, which will be awarded though tax increment financing over the next 25 years, makes up 18% of the total cost of the proposed $125MM project. It will include safety and security improvements, heating and air conditioning upgrades, a new solar panel system and plaza, concession, seating and premium suite improvements.
- The Mavericks are planning a free agent camp June 22nd with Arnett Moultrie, Bobby Brown, Dominic McGuire and Nick Minnerath among the players invited, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Thanasis Antetokounmpo, who played two games for the Knicks this season, also received an invitation but has not confirmed that he will attend the camp (Twitter link).
- The Spurs will hold a free agent camp Wednesday, Kennedy tweets, with Chris Copeland, Adonis Thomas, Victor Rudd, Scott Suggs, J.J. O’Brien and Darius Adams among those expected to attend.
- The Timberwolves have had workouts for several veteran free agents, including Jimmer Fredette, Phil Pressey, Marquis Teague, Ryan Boatright, Mike James, Ra’shad James, Mark Lyons and Aaron Craft, tweets international journalist David Pick.
David West To Opt Out Of Contract
David West will turn down his player option with the Spurs for the 2016/17 season, making him an unrestricted free agent next month, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). The option would have been worth $1,551,659, the minimum amount allowed for a player with West’s NBA experience.
[RELATED: Player option decisions for 2016/17]
According to Charania, West will “evaluate [his] playing future” after opting out of his contract. That wording suggests that retirement may be one option considered by the 35-year-old forward, who has 13 NBA seasons under his belt. Assuming he does want to continue his career, the Xavier alum may also re-evaluate his priorities in free agency, after taking a huge pay cut to join the Spurs a year ago.
West, who spent four seasons with the Pacers before signing with the Spurs last summer, played just 18 minutes per game for San Antonio, his lowest mark since his rookie year in 2003/04. He was still fairly effective in that limited role, however, recording a career-best .545 FG%.
West is one of three Spurs veterans facing decisions on player options and possible retirement this offseason — the other two, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, are among the franchise’s all-time greatest players. Duncan and Ginobili have yet to make announcements regarding their decisions on player options for 2016/17, but both players are viewed as candidates to call it a career.
Spurs Plan Offer To Euro Forward Davis Bertans
The Spurs are expected to make a minimum contract offer to Latvian combo forward Davis Bertans, Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net reports. San Antonio acquired his rights during the 2011 draft after the Pacers selected the 6’10” Bertans with the No. 42 pick. The Spurs also acquired the draft rights of small forward Kawhi Leonard in the same deal that sent point guard George Hill to the Pacers.
Bertans’ career has been marred by knee injuries. He tore his right ACL in March 2015 just two years after suffering a tear in the same knee. He had surgery for the second tear in San Antonio. He has been playing for the Spanish team Laboral Kutza Baskonia and has one year remaining on his contract, though he can be bought out for an unspecified amount, according to Varlas.
Bertans averaged 11.o points for Baskonia in 22 games prior to the 2015 tear. He appeared in 15 games last season, including eight starts, and averaged 7.9 points.
His biggest asset is his ability to stretch the floor. He has averaged 38.8% from 3-point range during his Euroleague career and is also an excellent free throw shooter at 82.4%.
Beyond starters LaMarcus Aldridge and Leonard and promising Kyle Anderson, there’s a lot of uncertainty regarding the Spurs’ forwards. Tim Duncan has to make a decision whether he wants to play at least one more year, while David West has a player option on his contract and could decide to reenter the free agent market. Matt Bonner is an unrestricted free agent, while swingman Jonathan Simmons has a non-guaranteed contract.
Latest Draft News
- Former Kansas shooting guard Wayne Selden has worked out for the Lakers, Rockets, Spurs and Bulls in addition to previously reported sessions with the Knicks and Bucks, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders relays (via Twitter).
- Former Louisville small forward Damion Lee has participated in workouts for the Clippers, Celtics, Suns, Spurs, Wizards, Jazz and Raptors, plus, he has upcoming visits scheduled with the Mavericks and Thunder, Kennedy tweets.
Kevin Durant Not Considering Rockets
Kevin Durant and James Harden have been spotted hanging out together this week, but their social plans aren’t related at all to Durant’s free agency, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein. According to Stein, despite Harden’s presence in Houston and the team’s reported interest in Durant, the Rockets aren’t a club KD plans to seriously consider in free agency this summer.
Houston is one of many teams expected to make a run at Durant this offseason, joining the Warriors, Spurs, Heat, Celtics, Knicks, Lakers, and Wizards, among others. As has long been the case though, people around the NBA still believe the most likely scenario involves the Thunder star returning to Oklahoma City on a two-year deal with an opt-out after the first season.
Still, Durant is expected to be open to taking recruiting meetings, and we heard on Thursday that the Spurs and Warriors are among the clubs “planning big pitches.” Stein corroborates that report, suggesting that Golden State and San Antonio are considered by many executives around the league to be the two biggest threats to OKC.
While the NBA’s tampering rules don’t prevent Durant’s friends on rival teams, such as Harden, from spending time with him and perhaps making their own pitches this month, clubs won’t be able to formally pursue the seven-time All-Star until the new league year gets underway, three weeks from today.
Free Agent Rumors: Durant, Conley, Whiteside
Within his latest piece for Basketball Insiders, Steve Kyler examines a few of this year’s top free-agents-to-be, taking stock of their situations and passing along the latest notes and rumors he’s heard on each player. Here’s a round-up of some of the key info from Kyler’s piece:
- Even though Kevin Durant is considered most likely to return to the Thunder, he’s expected to take meetings, and Kyler hears that the Warriors and Spurs are “planning big pitches.” The belief around the NBA is that Durant will return to OKC on a deal that allows him to opt out in a year so that his free agency will line up with Russell Westbrook‘s and Serge Ibaka‘s in 2017.
- Sources close to Mike Conley‘s camp have suggested recently that Conley is “more open to new situations” than the Grizzlies would like. According to Kyler, those sources believe that the point guard wants to see signs that Memphis is serious about fortifying its roster with other pieces before committing to the team for the long term. Kyler identifies the “dark horse” in the Conley sweepstakes as the Spurs, who are believed to be willing to make some changes to their core if it means landing another high-level player.
- Hassan Whiteside is expected to land a maximum-salary contract, with the Lakers and Celtics among the teams believed to be interested. The Heat remain the favorites for the big man, but if they “try to play games,” Whiteside will shop around for other offers, according to Kyler.
- The Raptors and Knicks are among the clubs with interest in Nicolas Batum, but Batum will likely be in line for a max contract or something close to it, and the Hornets are viewed as the team most likely to accommodate such a deal.
- DeMar DeRozan is viewed as a near-lock to return to the Raptors on a max deal.
- Assuming they don’t land Durant, the Warriors sound prepared to keep their current roster intact, even if that means matching a “crazy offer sheet” for Harrison Barnes, writes Kyler.
- The odds of RFA-to-be Jordan Clarkson ending up with any team besides the Lakers are slim, but it’s possible his camp will seek out an offer sheet from another club if necessary, in order to get more favorable terms.