According to MySanAntonio.com's Dan McCarney, the Spurs have moved Sean Marks from the front office to the sidelines, where he'll be an assistant coach on Gregg Popovich's staff next season.
A former player for the team as well, the 38-year-old Marks will replace the recently departed Brett Brown, who became head coach of the Sixers this offseason.
A pair of Eastern Conference teams have reached agreements with free agents today, as the Sixers worked to finalize a deal for Darius Morris, while the Bulls signed a pair of players – Patrick Christopher and Kalin Lucas – for camp. Here's more from around the East:
The tenth and final installment of Steve Kyler's series on trade scenarios to watch was published today on HoopsWorld, focusing on the Warriors, Bucks, and Spurs. Let's dive in and round up the highlights….
No team in NBA history has seen their 15th man have a significant impact on their season and the Spurs aren't likely to be the first, writes Dan McCarney of Spurs Nation. However, the fact that the Spurs are thinking about point guard Mike Bibby and Sebastian Telfair might say something about their concerns over the aging Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Here's more from around the Association..
With the offseason winding down, most of the summer's impact free agents are off the board with deals in the NBA and, occasionally, overseas. However, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld identified five free agents still out there that can contribute to a team in 2013/14. Richard Hamilton who was waived by the Bulls in July for financial reasons, leads the list of free agents. Tyrus Thomas, Rodrigue Beaubois, Jamaal Tinsley, and Sebastian Telfair also earned mentions as players that can make a difference this season. Here's more from around the Association..
Just as the NBA's free agent frenzy is largely behind us, most significant international signings have already taken place as well. Still, there are a few players and teams making news overseas, and Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival has the latest:
Veteran NBA point guard Mike Bibby is participating in a Spurs mini-camp this week, auditioning for a chance at a contract or camp invite, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Zwerling adds that Mickael Pietrus will also be among the players working out for the Spurs (Twitter links).
It seems the Spurs have yet to start extending camp invites to roster hopefuls. As our page of roster counts shows, the club currently has 14 players under contract, all on guaranteed deals. Teams can carry up to 20 players up until opening night, so I'd expect San Antonio to add a few more players before camp opens.
Whether Bibby or Pietrus will earn one of those spots on the preseason roster remains to be seen. Bibby, 35, didn't appear in an NBA game last season, having last played for the Knicks in 2011/12. Pietrus signed a minimum-salary contract with the Raptors last season, but injury woes and a lack of production limited him to 19 games.
According to Zwerling, Pietrus may have more workouts lined up, but the Spurs appear to be Bibby's only potential suitor at this point.
Although he has been the subject of plenty of rumors and reports since free agency opened two months ago, Sebastian Telfair remains unsigned. The veteran point guard continues to draw interest from NBA teams though, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, who tweets that the Celtics, Lakers, and Spurs may be in the mix.
It's not clear whether those clubs have just kicked the tires on Telfair, or whether their interest is more serious, but none of them have been cited so far this offseason as a potential suitor. Previously, the Knicks, Nets, Heat, and Thunder were mentioned as a few possible destinations for Telfair, though some of those teams have since signed other players.
Boston currently has 14 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Donte Greene and three camp invitees, so the C's may not have much room for Telfair. That goes for the Spurs as well, who seem to be well-stocked at point guard already, with Cory Joseph, Nando De Colo, and Patrick Mills capable of playing the point behind Tony Parker. As for the Lakers, they already have Steve Nash, Steve Blake, and Jordan Farmar under contract.
Telfair, 28, appeared in 59 games last season for the Suns and Raptors, averaging 5.6 PPG and 2.6 APG in 16.6 minutes per contest. His .362 FG% was a career-worst mark, but many of his other rates, including a 10.9 PER and .353 3PT%, were in line with, or better than, his career averages.
The Spurs have always been about innovation in the front office and they made an out-of-the-box hiring today by hiring well-respected prep recruiting analyst Dave Telep, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Telep, who recently left a job at a cable TV outlet, will work in a scouting coordinator role for the NBA draft under GM R.C. Buford.
The Cavaliers and Spurs are the latest teams to schedule workouts for Josh Childress, agent Chris Emens tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype.com (Twitter link). Despite the confirmation of the workout, Childress is one of 40 or more players that Cleveland will audition next month as training camp approaches, tweets Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer, so the team may not be especially interested.
Childress has already worked out for the Pelicans and been linked to the Knicks this offseason. He also reportedly turned down a lucrative offer from Greek powerhouse Olympiacos earlier this summer, instead opting to try to latch on with an NBA team. Childress, 30, spent two seasons overseas with Olympiacos but has yet to re-establish himself in the NBA since returning in 2010 with the Suns. It sounds like Childress has a handful of suitors, but as Schmitt Boyer cautions, it is tough to evaluate if he can land an NBA job until we figure out where he will spend training camp.