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Offseason In Review: San Antonio Spurs

December 12th, 2012 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is in the process of looking back at each team's offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees, and more will be covered, as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.

Signings

Trades and Claims

  • None

Draft Picks

  • Marcus Denmon (Round 2, 59th overall). Will play overseas.

Camp Invitees

Departing Players

Rookie Contract Option Decisions

When the NBA returned from its lockout a year ago, much was made of the fact that teams would miss out on the usual training camps. With only a couple weeks between the free agent period and the beginning of the regular season, clubs that were undergoing major overhauls would barely have any time to develop chemistry before the season was underway. As such, teams that stayed relatively intact were considered to be ahead of the game, with the lengthy layoff and abridged preseason viewed as less of a handicap for players who had a history together.

While the 2011/12 season may not have followed precisely that template across the league, the rule certainly seemed true in the case of the Spurs, led as always by Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker. San Antonio, having been written off as too old by more than one pundit entering the season, cruised to the best record in the Western Conference for a second straight season. Were it not for a torrid stretch of shooting by the Thunder in the West Finals, it's not out of the question that LeBron James and Miami's Big Three could still be searching for their first title together.

Although the Spurs fell short of a championship last season, the team seemed to approach the offseason with the same attitude that prevailed following the lockout — the fewer changes, the better. The Spurs were the only team in the NBA that didn't add a player via trade or waiver claim, and the majority of their moves in free agency simply involved re-signing their own players.

San Antonio had the least roster turnover of any of the Association's 30 teams, with Nando De Colo representing the club's lone addition, while only Derrick Byars and James Anderson were missing from last year's roster. Not only that, but a few weeks into the season, Anderson was already back in the fold, having been signed to a non-guaranteed deal to provide depth with Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Jackson out of action.

Even the NBA's elite teams are always looking for ways to improve, with the defending champion Heat adding outside shooters like Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis over the summer. So what are we to make of the Spurs' relative stasis? Well, for one, players like Boris Diaw and Patty Mills were mid-season additions last year. With more time under their belts in San Antonio, they figure to only gain a better understanding of their respective roles with the Spurs.

Additionally, for all the talk about how "old" the Spurs are, the team has a pair of intriguing young players in Leonard and Danny Green. With Leonard only in the second year of his rookie deal and Green re-signed to an affordable three-year contract, San Antonio should expect improvements and increased contributions from both players, particularly on defense, where Green has exhibited the ability to be a lockdown defender on wing scorers.

Of course, without Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker, the Spurs wouldn't be in position to virtually stand pat with the current roster and still hope to contend for a title. Duncan took a significant pay cut this summer, and will earn $10MM annually over the life of his new deal, rather than the $21MM+ salary he was making in 2011/12. Such a cut makes sense for a player approaching the end of his career, but the Spurs clearly believe that the future Hall of Famer has plenty left in him, committing to a three-year contract. At 36 and 35 respectively, Duncan and Ginobili are probably a few years removed from their primes, but given how many players we've seen be effective into their late-30s, the Spurs' title window certainly remains open for now.

It's not easy to enthusiastically praise an offseason that consists of so few moves. But at the same time, it's hard to argue that the Spurs made any mistakes in essentially retaining the same team that was on a 20-game winning streak and two games from the NBA Finals when the Thunder's shooters caught fire last year. By bringing back the same players that took them deep into the playoffs last year, the Spurs are betting on the power of continuity, and hoping a few more bounces go their way when they return to the postseason in 2013.

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Spurs Unwilling To Pay Luxury Tax In 2012/13

December 12th, 2012 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

James Anderson has impressed so far with the Spurs, but whether or not the team keeps him and guarantees his contract for the season may depend on how close San Antonio is willing to get to the luxury tax threshold, according to Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News. Head coach Gregg Popovich tells Monroe that the Spurs are committed to staying out of tax territory this season, which could have an effect on the team's roster moves going forward.

"It's also a business," Popovich said, after praising Anderson and saying there was a chance he could stick in San Antonio all season. "So you’ve got to look at the money end of it, taxes and how close we are, because we’re not going to pay tax. We’re not going to do that."

According to ShamSports (link currently down), the Spurs' team salary was at $69,157,865 prior to Anderson's signing. Depending on how long Anderson remains on the roster, the team will take a cap hit worth a pro-rated portion of the veteran's minimum ($854,389). Keeping Anderson on the roster until season's end would take team salary close to $70MM, which wouldn't give the club much breathing room under the tax line ($70,307,000).

While it's possible for the Spurs to keep Anderson all year without going into the tax, it would likely prevent them from making subsequent moves later in the season. More signings, including 10-day contracts, would be difficult to maneuver, and the team would have to avoid taking on salary in any trades. As such, it's more likely that the Spurs will release Anderson prior to January 10th, when all contracts become fully guaranteed. That would give the team a little more flexibility beneath the tax line, and free up a roster spot to use later in the season. Additionally, if Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Jackson come back healthy, Anderson doesn't figure to be a part of San Antonio's regular rotation anyway.

The Spurs paid about $2.5MM in taxes for last season's roster, but likely want to avoid being over the threshold for consecutive seasons, given the more punitive penalties on the way for repeat taxpayers.

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Northwest Notes: Love, Lindsey, Blazers, Lawson

December 11th, 2012 at 10:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

The most significant news coming out of the Northwest today was Kevin Love's criticism of the Wolves, and there's plenty of reaction to that along with other notes from the division.

  • Matt Moore of CBSSports.com surmises that Wolves GM David Kahn is at the center of Love's frustration with the franchise, and believes owner Glen Taylor may be forced to choose between the two at some point.
  • Taylor remains a fan of Kahn, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN, who points out the team holds an option on Kahn's contract for next season.
  • The timing of Love's comments could have been much better for a team on the verge of creating excitement in Minnesota for the first time in a while, opines Tom Powers of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
  • Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune agrees with Love's remarks, based on what he's heard from others inside the Wolves organization, and believes that if Love departs in the summer of 2015, it will represent the most significant mistake of Kahn's tenure.
  • New Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey is slowly implementing some of the principles he learned while working with the Spurs, but plenty of similarities already existed between the two franchises, as Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune examines.
  • Blazers GM Neil Olshey hinted at a move around the trade deadline that would help the team's rebounding, but The Oregonian's Jason Quick doesn't think the Blazers have enough assets for a swap, believing the team must instead look to the draft and free agency (Twitter links).
  • Jim Cavan of The New York Times examines how Jrue Holiday, who got a four-year, $41MM extension from the Sixers before the season, has outplayed fellow point guard Ty Lawson, who's fresh off a four-year, $48MM extension from the Nuggets.
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David Stern Addresses Media

December 5th, 2012 at 9:49pm CST by Sean Highkin

NBA Commissioner David Stern addressed members of the media while attending the Hornets' game against the Lakers in New Orleans on Wednesday night. Stern, who had previously announced that he is stepping down as Commissioner on February 1, 2014, spoke on several topics. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com has a transcription, and the highlights are reprinted below.

On the Hornets' announcement that they plan to change their name to the Pelicans:

“If it works for them, it works for me,” Stern said. “I don’t have any objections to anything that the Hornets want to do name-wise because I’m sure it’ll be sensible. … I’m sure whatever it is, it’ll be good. If [Pelicans] is what it is, that’s fine. … I think everything sounds good. I think Lakers, have you seen any lakes in Los Angeles? There’s the same amount of lakes in L.A. as there is jazz in Utah, or grizzlies in Memphis. I’m out of that business. Whatever works for a team works for me.”

On the Lakers' new TV deal:

“It’s one component of the Lakers’ income that gets accounted for when they make a payment into the revenue sharing pool, so there’s more money to be shared,” Stern said. “The combination of that and the tax tend to act as something of a brake on team spending.”

On Spurs coach Gregg Popovich's controversial decision to rest four players against the Heat on Thursday:

“In the case of San Antonio, they didn’t just come to town and rest healthy players, they sent a 26-year-old and 30-year-old plus Manu and Timmy home virtually under the cover of darkness or light of day, however you do it, without notifying as our rules require for injury and illness. Maybe it’s my mistake not to think injury and illness when you’re secreting someone away should also include deciding to move them out. So in all other circumstances, I thought if we didn’t do something this time there would never be a reason to do it. Only visit to Miami, practically the first month of the season, notifying nobody and sending home young and healthy players, it merited rebut and I did it. And this was a team decision. This is not me and Pop. Pop is a great coach, Hall of Fame coach. This decision was made by the entire senior management and ownership of the San Antonio Spurs and I felt that they were doing what they perceived was their job and I was doing what I perceived as my job and that’s what happens.”

On the ability of small-market teams to compete under the new CBA:

“I don’t have any concerns about small markets under the new CBA,” Stern said. “I think when the tax penalties come in next year, where teams that pay an extra $30 million, for example, might have to pay another $84 million in taxes, lose their right to the mid-level exception, lose their right to sign-and-trade, you will see a substantially modified behavior. Actually, we began to see it this year when Chicago, a ‘large market,’ passed on matching Omer Asik because they don’t want to deal with the $45-million-dollar impact in taxes in the third year. Then New York declined to match Houston’s offer to Jeremy Lin, and Oklahoma City decided to trade James Harden rather than deal with the tax consequences of a max contract, so we’re seeing early green shoots and it’s going to get more profound. I think, together with revenue sharing, it’s going to allow low-grossing teams to compete with high-grossing teams. New Orleans is going to be a profitable team, and the ultimate irony is that you would call it a small market because it’s one of our smallest markets, but they’re going to contribute to revenue sharing.”

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Spurs Recall Cory Joseph From D-League

December 5th, 2012 at 11:20am CST by Zachary Links

The Spurs announced that they have recalled Cory Joseph from the Austin Toros.  Joseph, who has been assigned to the Toros twice this season, appeared in two games with Austin, averaging 12.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.0 steals in 35.5 minutes.

The University of Texas product has appeared in four games this season for the Spurs' varsity squad, averaging 1.8 points and 1.5 assists in 7.8 minutes.  Joseph also spent 29 games with the Spurs in 2011/12, averaging 2.0 PPG in 9.0 minutes per contest.  The shorthanded Spurs can certainly use the help as they'll be without Kawhi Leonard, Stephen Jackson, Danny Green, and Patty Mills for tonight's game against the Bucks.

Be sure to check out our complete list of D-League assignments and recalls to keep track of the latest moves.

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Spurs Recall Nando De Colo From D-League

December 3rd, 2012 at 11:05am CST by Zachary Links

The Spurs announced that they have re-called guard Nando De Colo from the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League.  De Colo’s stint in Austin lasted approximately 24 hours as he was assigned yesterday morning.

De Colo’s one-game outing in Austin was successful as he had 14 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in the team’s 97-82 victory over Idaho last night.  The rookie appeared in 13 games for the Spurs this year, averaging 2.5 PPG on just 30% shooting in 10.4 minutes per game.  The 25-year-old made his first NBA start on Thursday against the Heat as the Spurs rested their core three plus Danny Green.

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Southwest Notes: Popovich, Cuban, Collison, Hornets

December 2nd, 2012 at 4:27pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from the Southwest Division on Sunday afternoon:

  • Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News wonders whether Spurs coach Gregg Popovich cost himself the opportunity to coach Team USA at the 2016 Olympics with his controversial decision to rest several starters on Thursday.
  • Mavericks owner Mark Cuban tells Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com that he understands the NBA's decision to fine the Spurs, although he may have done the same thing in Popovich's shoes.
  • Darren Collison, on the last year of his rookie-scale contract, doesn't think he got a fair shot at starting for the Mavs, writes Jeff Caplan of NBA.com, but Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News thinks the numbers support coach Rick Carlisle's decision to go with newly acquired Derek Fisher as the starter.
  • Hornets forward Jason Smith tells John Reid of the Times-Picayune that it is the responsibility of the veteran players to set an example for younger players on the struggling team.
  • Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune writes that the Hornets so far are failing to deliver on their promise of a brighter future.
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D-League Moves: De Colo, Miller, Tyler

December 2nd, 2012 at 11:21am CST by Chuck Myron

In addition to the Celtics sending down Kris Joseph, three other teams announced D-League moves in quick succession, and we'll detail them here.

  • The Spurs assigned Nando De Colo to the Austin Toros. The rookie has appeared in 13 games for San Antonio, averaging 2.5 points on just 30% shooting in 10.4 minutes per game. The 25-year-old Frenchman logged his first NBA start Thursday as the Spurs rested their regulars against the Heat.
  • The Nuggets recalled Quincy Miller from the Iowa Energy after sending him down November 13th. The 6'10" Baylor product, the 38th overall pick in this year's draft, has yet to play in a game for the Nuggets this season, but posted 14.0 PPG and 10.7 RPG in 29.3 MPG in three contests for Iowa.
  • The Warriors assigned Jeremy Tyler to the Santa Cruz Warriors in a move first reported by Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link). Tyler played in 42 games, including 23 starts, as a rookie last season, but has seen just 10 minutes of burn in five games for the big club this year. 
  • To keep up with all the D-League assignments and recalls throughout the year, bookmark our updated list.
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Southwest Notes: Popovich, Fisher, Murphy

December 1st, 2012 at 8:05pm CST by Michael Pina

Some notes from around the NBA's Southwest Division. 

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Spurs Assign Cory Joseph To D-League

December 1st, 2012 at 12:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The Spurs announced that they have re-assigned guard Cory Joseph to the Austin Toros of the NBA D-League.  Joseph was first assigned to the Toros on November 15th and was recalled days later on November 21.

Joseph, 21, appeared in four games for Spurs, averaging 1.8 points and 1.5 assists in 7.8 minutes.  In three stints with the Toros last season, the 6’3″ guard averaged 13.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 5.1 APG, and 1.29 steals in 14 games.  Joseph also spent 29 games with the Spurs in 2011/12, averaging 2.0 PPG in 9.0 minutes per contest.

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