West Isn't Close To Deciding On Player Option
- Spurs veteran power forward David West isn’t sure if he will exercise his $1.55MM player option for next season, according to Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News. West will not make a decision until after the season, Young adds. “I have no idea,” he told Young. “I really just want to see what my body tells me when it’s all said and done. I think that’s the best way to put it.”
Long Road To The NBA For Simmons
- Spurs rookie Jonathon Simmons overcame tremendous odds to earn a spot on an NBA roster, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Simmons was close to giving up when he attended a D-League tryout in Austin in 2013. He impressed the Toros and spent two seasons there before getting his chance this year in San Antonio. Simmons has become a regular part of the Spurs’ rotation, averaging 14.3 minutes through 52 appearances.
Latest On Kawhi Leonard Agent Situation
3:08pm: Elfus tells Fischer that he has “stepped back from off-the-court negotiations” for Leonard but says no other change has taken place (Twitter link).
3:06pm: Elfus tells USA Today’s Sam Amick that the initial report was “unfounded” and that he remains an Impact Sports Management client (Twitter link). That leaves it unclear whether Elfus will continue as Leonard’s primary agent, but it nonetheless appears as though the same company will continue to represent the Spurs star.
2:56pm: Leonard remains with Impact Sports Management, and the change is simply a matter of who does what for Leonard within the agency, as Zach Lowe of ESPN.com clarifies (Twitter link).
2:42pm: Kawhi Leonard has parted with agent Brian Elfus of Impact Sports Management, a league source tells Jake Fischer of SI Now (Twitter link). The reason for the split is unclear, as Leonard signed a five-year contract for the maximum salary with the Spurs just this past July.
Players are normally the catalysts for agent changes, since the representatives work for them, though sometimes agents make the decision to end the relationship. A change of agents sometimes has more to do with off-court endorsement deals than with NBA contracts, though Leonard has long shied from the spotlight and has been reluctant to promote himself in commercials.
In any case, Elfus will continue to receive a commission on the deal Leonard signed this summer, which is worth precisely $94,343,129. The typical NBA agent commission would give him 4% of that amount, though sometimes agents waive their fees to maintain relationships with particularly valuable clients.
Andre Miller: 'No Way I Was Going To Stay' With Wolves
- The Timberwolves signed Andre Miller, Kevin Garnett and Tayshaun Prince last summer in part to provide veteran assistance for their young core, but Miller nonetheless criticized the Wolves last week on a podcast with The Vertical’s Chris Mannix for relying too heavily on their young players, notes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Miller bought his way out of Minnesota and signed earlier this month with the Spurs. “There was no way I was going to stay in Minnesota on a team that never had any goals, from what I thought,” Miller said. “I didn’t want to sit there and let this be my last year. There were no expectations in Minnesota with that team and which way they wanted to go. It wasn’t communicated, so I was like, ‘If this is my last year, I can’t go out like this.’ ”
Duncan, Ginobili To Make Retirement Decisions Individually
- Tim Duncan says he and Spurs teammate Manu Ginobili will make their retirement decisions individually rather than as a group, Melissa Rohlin of the San Antonio Express-News relays (Twitter link).
Spurs Recall Marjanovic, Simmons From D-League
- Kevin Martin has seen limited action for the Spurs thus far, but coach Gregg Popovich is pleased with how the veteran is fitting in with the team, Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio-Express News writes. “He’s been around long enough where he’s fit in pretty well,” Popovich said of Martin. “That was good to see, because he hadn’t played for a while and we didn’t know what was going to happen.” The 33-year-old shooting guard has appeared in six games for San Antonio and is averaging 4.2 points in 9.7 minutes per outing.
- The Spurs have recalled center Boban Marjanovic and small forward Jonathon Simmons from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. Marjanovic is averaging 23.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 blocks in 26.4 minutes over three games with the Austin this season, while Simmons has logged 16.0 points, 3.5 assists and 2.8 rebounds over four D-League appearances.
Spurs Nab Analysti
- NBA executives flocked to the wisdom of Kirk Goldsberry, who turned an expertise in mapping into a career as a journalist covering NBA advanced metrics, but now the Spurs have his information to themselves, as Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News details. The team hired him earlier this month as its new vice president of strategic research.
Duncan Nearing Bonus For Victories
- At least two other Western teams are also waiting to see if players collect significant bonuses, Marks writes in the same piece. Tim Duncan is due to get an additional $750K once the Spurs reach 62 wins, which will raise his salary for this season to $6MM and push San Antonio’s tax bill from about $3.8MM to $4.9MM. The Clippers can save $1.1MM in luxury taxes relating to a Jeff Green bonus if they fail to reach 56 wins. He will receive $450K if L.A. gets to that victory total.
Spurs Assign Marjanovic, Simmons To D-League
- The Spurs have assigned Boban Marjanovic and Jonathon Simmons to their D-League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, according to the team’s website.
Spurs Recall Simmons
- The Spurs have recalled shooting guard Jonathon Simmons from their D-League team in Austin. The rookie is averaging 5.6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 48 games with San Antonio.