San Antonio Spurs Trade Rumors

Manu to rejoin Spurs Saturday
February 10
San Antonio Express-News
 
"A small crowd of students gathered outside the non-descript community college gym in midtown Manhattan on Friday, straining for a glimpse of the NBA team that had invaded their school. Beyond the closed double doors, Spurs guard Manu Ginobili was going through a full-team, full-contact practice that would determine his availability for Saturday's game in New Jersey."
Ginobili set for full-contact practice
February 10
San Antonio Express-News
 
"For Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, the wait is almost over. Out since Jan. 2 with a fractured shooting hand, Ginobili missed 22 games recovering from the break and the subsequent surgery to repair it. Now, he is one practice away from making his return. In a tiny gym at an obscure community college in midtown Manhattan this morning, Ginobili's availability for Saturday's game at New Jersey will be determined. It will be Ginobili's first chance at a full-contact practice since the injury. With Ginobili having already been medically cleared to play, coach Gregg Popovich will make the final determination based on the guard's general conditioning level."
Ginobili's return 'likely' Saturday at New Jersey
February 9
San Antonio Express-News
 
"At long last, the Spurs have a date targeted for Manu Ginobili to make his return from a broken left hand. If all goes to plan, coach Gregg Popovich said, Ginobili is "likely" to play Saturday at New Jersey. One sign Ginobili's return is imminent: With a straight face, he lobbied Popovich to play Wednesday night in Philadelphia. "I think it's too early," Popovich said. "We'd like to get him into a 5-on-5 situation before he plays. I think we'll be able to do that this week. "Probably, New Jersey is the first time he'll be allowed to play, I think. I think that's likely.""
Kenyon Martin cleared to return to NBA
February 2
Yahoo! Sports
 
"In a surprising turn of events, the governing body of international basketball – FIBA – has granted free agent Kenyon Martin his letter of clearance to immediately return to the NBA, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Martin has visited with several teams interested in signing him, including Atlanta on Thursday, and will huddle with agent Andy Miller in New York over the weekend to reach a decision. The Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat are leaders for Martin, but the Hawks, Lakers, New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs remain in pursuit of him. New York has faded from contention in recent weeks, sources said, because of more pressing guard needs."
Will we see Tim Duncan play Thursday night?
February 2
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Gregg Popovich has thrown down the gauntlet, telling anyone who would listen that he plans regular rests for Tim Duncan as part of his lockout schedule strategy. The only problem might be that the 35-year-old Duncan still prefers playing a lot more than sitting on the bench and practically vowed to play Thursday night against New Orleans. By looking at the substitution patterns after the Spurs' 99-91 victory over Houston Wednesday night, it appeared that Duncan might be ripe for a night off against the Hornets and Emeka Okafor Thursday night."
Kenyon Martin deciding which contender to join
February 1
Yahoo! Sports
 
"Kenyon Martin is expected to decide by this weekend which NBA team he'll join, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks have expressed interest in signing the veteran forward. Martin signed with Xinjiang Gyang Hui of the Chinese Basketball Association, but has since returned to the United States. He's not eligible to sign with an NBA team until Xinjiang's season ends, which could be as soon as Feb. 16. "He's a veteran guy who knows how to win at a high level and in a playoff environment," one NBA general manager said. "He also plays multiple positions. If you get him to a situation"
Sources: 5 teams eye Kenyon Martin
January 28
ESPN.com
 
"The Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks are pursuing free-agent forward Kenyon Martin, according to league sources. Martin has spoken with executives from each of the clubs and is hoping to make his decision next week. The veteran of 11 NBA seasons will be eligible to sign and begin playing with a team as soon as the Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers complete their season in the Chinese Basketball Association. Martin signed a $2.6 million deal with Xinjiang during the lockout, but left the team in late December in hopes of returning to the NBA. The CBA's rules, however, prohibit him from joining an NBA team until Xinjiang's season ends,"
Report: Fab won't be returning to Spurs
January 13
San Antonio Express-News
 
"A recurring rumor as the Spurs deal without Antonio McDyess was that the team would bring back former team member Fabricio Oberto at some point this season. According to Ole.com (hat tip: Project Spurs.com), Oberto is set to join Argentinian team Atenas de Cordoba in order to get some conditioning work to prepare for London Olympics with the Argentinian National team later this year. "I want to get as much time as possible for London. It is my goal," Oberto told Ole. "And the way to do it, is training and playing on a team.""
Ginobili breaks hand in defeat
January 3
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Fighting from behind through a first half in which the Minnesota Timberwolves made 67.5 percent of their shots and 7 of 8 from 3-point range, the Spurs somehow found themselves within eight points after a Richard Jefferson 3-point basket with 3:04 left in the half. What they needed before halftime of what would eventually be a 106-96 loss was a defensive stop to help them further turn the game's momentum. So, on Minnesota's next possession, Spurs guard Manu Ginobili slapped down hard with his left hand in an attempt to strip the ball from Anthony Tolliver's grasp as the Timberwolves forward turned to launch a shot from just inside the 3-point line."
Could K-Mart be answer to Spurs' inside questions?
December 19
San Antonio Express-News
 
"With Antonio McDyess' future with the Spurs in question, the team likely would need at least one more big player to help fill in their rotation. Gregg Popovich told Jeff McDonald in a recent interview that the team "probably could use another big in the rotation," but wouldn't settle to "put someone there just to have a body there." The search continues with the team's Dec. 26 opener approaching. And the first two games will provide an interesting early litmus test as the Spurs will face Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph from Memphis and Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers in the first four nights of the season. They potentially could find some help from an unexpected source. ESPN.com"
No amnesty for Jefferson
December 17
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Meet the new starting small forward, same as the old starting small forward. After a week of flirting with other small forwards, the Spurs will open the preseason tonight at the Toyota Center with Richard Jefferson still on the roster and the remaining three years and $30.5 million on his contract still on the team payroll. Friday's NBA deadline for executing amnesty on a player – waiving him in order to clean his contract off the books for salary-cap purposes – came and went without Jefferson being jettisoned. The Spurs had been strongly considering releasing the 31-year-old Jefferson, but backed away when they couldn't seem to attract a suitable replacement. Though amnesty is off the"
Jefferson could survive Amnesty Day
December 16
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Today is Amnesty Day across the NBA, the date by which teams must decide whether to exercise their so-called "amnesty provision" on a player for this season, or save it for a campaign to come. For Richard Jefferson, long named near the top of every speculative "to-be-amnestied" list, today could mark the last day of his Spurs career. Or it could be the first day of the rest of his third season in silver and black. A red-letter day indeed, except Jefferson didn't exactly have it circled on his calendar. "I didn't even know until you told me," a grinning Jefferson said after Thursday's practice. "I could have gone to bed tonight a happy man.""
Duncan not ready to think about retirement
December 10
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Some observers have thought the extensive lockout might have killed Tim Duncan's enthusiasm to keep playing as he begins his 15th season in the NBA. But Duncan, who turned 35 in April, reported to camp noticeably slimmer and determined to not to think about his retirement. When asked after Friday's practice if he was thinking about the end of his NBA career, Duncan merely laughed. "Wow, after the first practice," Parker said, chuckling. "I felt good today – does that count for anything? But let's talk tomorrow and we'll see." Duncan later said he's not pondering his final NBA game."
Howard still mulling
December 10
San Antonio Express-News
 
"If free-agent small forward Josh Howard is to join the Spurs — still a big "if" at this point — it won't be for the start of training camp today. An hour before today's scheduled opening of NBA free agency, a publicist for Howard said the heavily courted Washington swingman might not finalize a decision until early next week. "San Antonio is still very much in the discussions with Josh and his agent (Derek Lafayette)," said Howard's publicist, Crystal Howard (no relation). "There's still a lot of back and forth between a number of teams and Josh's representatives. A decision has not been made yet, but he's certainly considering San Antonio as his (potential) new home." According to the"
RJ remains, but for how long?
December 10
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Richard Jefferson walked off the floor after the first practice of training camp Friday, took one look at the assembled media horde waiting for him and smiled. "I feel like I just got traded here," Jefferson joked. Only 72 hours earlier, Jefferson's Spurs career had been fitted for a toe tag. The Spurs had all but decided to exercise their one-time amnesty provision on him, prepared to offer him a handshake, a ticket out of town and several million dollars to chase other small forwards on the free-agent market. The Spurs still could do all of the above. But for now — and with that being the key phrase — Jefferson began his third Spurs training camp in the same manner he'd opened the"
Free-agent buzz: Bulls lead Butler suitors
December 8
Yahoo! Sports
 
"As Caron Butler(notes) completes his personal tour of NBA suitors, the Chicago Bulls remain the team to beat for him, league sources said. Butler left his meeting with the Bulls earlier this week with a deep appreciation for coach Tom Thibodeau, sources said. Butler's willingness to possibly take less money from a championship contender is made easier with his personal business holdings. Butler, 31, has also met with the Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs and New Jersey Nets this week. The Clippers and Nets have room underneath the salary cap to offer Butler more than the $5 million midlevel exception."
Former UT star Ford will sign with Spurs, back up Parker
December 8
San Antonio Express-News
 
"After agreeing to sign a contract with the Spurs that will make him Tony Parker's primary backup at the point guard position, former University of Texas star T.J. Ford said he was anxious to open training camp with the Spurs on Friday. "I can't wait to get there," he said from his home in Houston. Ford is expected to sign a contract for the NBA veteran minimum. With eight seasons in the NBA with Milwaukee, Toronto and Indiana, that makes the deal worth $1.266 million, which will be pro-rated for the shortened season. Just one week removed from playing for KK Zagreb in the Euroleague, where he emigrated after the NBA locked out its players in July, Ford said he is more than ready for the"
Butler liked what he saw in San Antonio
December 8
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Free-agent forward Caron Butler told the San Antonio Express-News Wednesday that he considers the Spurs his personal "frontrunners" for his services. Butler met with Spurs officials Wednesday in San Antonio. And later, Butler told the Express-News that he was pleased with how the meeting turned out. "The meeting went great, I enjoyed it," he said."
Caron Butler visits Spurs
December 7
ESPN.com
 
"Dallas Mavericks free agent Caron Butler enjoyed his Wednesday morning visit with the archrival San Antonio Spurs so much that he felt compelled to tweet about it. "Just met with Spurs great visit first class all the way ..." Butler said in his tweet. Yahoo! Sports reported that the Spurs will use the one-time amnesty clause written into the new collective bargaining agreement to jettison small forward Richard Jefferson, who is due to earn $9.2 million this season and $30 million over the next three."
Spurs to use amnesty clause on Jefferson
December 7
Yahoo! Sports
 
"The San Antonio Spurs have decided to use their one-time amnesty clause on Richard Jefferson to waive their starting small forward, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The decision allows the Spurs to remove the three years and $30.5 million left on Jefferson's contract from the team's payroll for salary-cap and tax purposes. Jefferson will still be paid the $30.5 million."
Caron Butler, Clippers to meet again
December 6
ESPN.com
 
"Free agent small forward Caron Butler's meeting with the the Los Angeles Clippers went so well Monday night, the two sides decided to talk again on Tuesday morning, according to Butler's agent. "Caron was really happy with the meeting," Butler's agent Raymond Brothers said. "We were really impressed by (general manager) Neil Olshey and (coach) Vinny Del Negro. I think they've got a good young team that can win. Caron had a really good feeling about it." Brothers said that Butler met with the Chicago Bulls Monday morning and still plans to travel to San Antonio to meet with the Spurs Tuesday afternoon. ESPNDallas.com's Jeff Caplan reported Sunday night that he is also expected to meet with"
Source: Caron Butler has 4 meetings set
December 5
ESPN.com
 
"Caron Butler begins a busy week Monday with at least four visits lined up to teams interested in signing the Dallas Mavericks' free-agent forward. Butler will visit with team officials from the Chicago Bulls on Monday morning, followed by trips to sit down with officials from the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night, the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday and possibly the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, a source close to the situation confirmed Sunday night. The source said that those teams understand that Butler, 31, is not interested in a one-year contract, the length favored by the Mavs to bring back the nine-year veteran."
Mavericks finding out that title brings out the vultures
December 4
Dallas Morning News
 
"With six free agents, it was inevitable that the Mavericks were going to draw a lot of attention when conversations could start between NBA executives and player agents earlier this week. Already, a slew of teams have shown interest in Caron Butler , J.J. Barea and, of course, Tyson Chandler. This is what happens when you win the championship. Other teams realize that the players you have on your roster are not only good, but have intangibles like leadership skills and heart, both of which go a long way when it comes to putting together a title contender. The latest bit of gossip is that San Antonio has made a strong push for Caron Butler, which would stand to reason because the Spurs have"
Josh Howard drawing interest in free agency
December 4
Washington Post
 
"Josh Howard may have struggled with a left knee injury the past two seasons in Washington, but he has attracted considerable attention with the free agent signing period set to begin on Friday. The Wizards and "five to six" playoff contenders have expressed interest in Howard, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Another person close to Howard confirmed that Boston, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, San Antonio, Denver, New Orleans and New Jersey have all made obligatory calls, with the Wizards, Bulls and Spurs engaging in more frequent conversations."
Report: Spurs have contacted Josh Howard
December 3
San Antonio Express-News
 
"The Spurs apparently are one of many teams that have had multiple conversations with the agent of oft-injured small forward Josh Howard. ESPN.com reports that the Spurs are among eight teams to have contacted Howard's agent on multiple occasions. Others, according to a tweet filed by Chris Broussard, include Chicago, Washington, Boston, New Jersey, New Orleans, Denver and Atlanta. Howard, 31, is a former Wake Forest standout who has seen limited playing time during the last two seasons as he recovered from an ACL tear. He spent the first six-plus seasons of his career with Dallas, earning an All-Star berth with in 200 before he was traded to Washington."
Amnesty for Jefferson still on table
December 3
San Antonio Express-News
 
"With the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement still days away from official ratification, front offices across the league are not yet fully open for business. Still, for teams hoping to upgrade their roster, there is still much work to be done between now and Dec. 9, the date when the starters' pistol simultaneously sounds on free agency and the opening of training camps. At his news conference Friday afternoon, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich detailed some of the task at hand. "That's what we're doing now: Trying to decide who we want to sign and what free agents to go after and do we want to make any trades," Popovich said. "That's all going on right now and that's the emphasis between"
Parker finished with French League
November 27
San Antonio Express-News
 
"In another sign the NBA's lockout is coming to an end, Spurs point guard Tony Parker says he has played his last game for ASVEL Villeurbanne, the French League team which with he's been occupying himself during the labor impasse. According to Univision.com, Parker and fellow Frenchman Ronny Turiaf, of the New York Knicks, will now rest up for the start of training camps with their respective teams. "The main goal was to win this game," Parker said after leading ASVEL to an 80-74 win over Strasbourg, "and especially we do not want injuries, which would have been a penalty in our last game. We are glad to finish on a high note." Parker is one of a handful of Spurs playing overseas who now"
Parker announces he's playing in France during lockout
October 5
San Antonio Express-News
 
"With the threat of missing NBA games from an extended lockout looming, Spurs point guard Tony Parker announced early Wednesday he will join his French team ASVEL. Parker's announcement came by a tweet on his personal Twitter page at 3:45 a.m. CT. "Going to play in France !!! Let's go ASVEL !!!! De retour en France pour jouer avec l'ASVEL !!!!" It's not a surprising decision because Parker is the vice president/director of basketball operations for the ASVEL team. It will provide some interest for his team as France's most celebrated NBA player returns home to play during the lockout. He will be playing for only $1,995 per month and will be based in Villeurbanne, near Lyon in southeast"
Ginobili's agent denies Italy report
October 5
San Antonio Express-News
 
"With the first two weeks of NBA regular-season games likely to be canceled come Monday, speculation continues to build about players heading overseas, including two of the Spurs' "Big Three." It appears likely that as soon as the cancellations become official, All-Star point guard Tony Parker will sign with Asvel, the team in Lyon-Villeurbanne, France, in which he has an ownership stake. An Internet report out of Italy on Tuesday indicated Spurs All-Star guard Manu Ginobili, who played several seasons in Bologna, Italy, had agreed to sign with Italian League power Virtus Bologna if Lakers star Kobe Bryant turned down a lucrative deal Virtus has offered him."
Parker: Lockout won't hasten Duncan's retirement
October 2
San Antonio Express-News
 
"It's long been considered the apocalypse scenario in San Antonio: The NBA lockout devours the entire 2011-12 season, and then Tim Duncan retires. Duncan's contact is set to expire after this season. If the NBA labor impasse winds up cancelling the entire schedule, would the Spurs' franchise icon simply retire instead of re-upping for another season in 2012-13, when he will be 36? In May, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich dismissed the notion that Duncan had played his final game in a Spurs uniform. Speaking at a basketball clinic Saturday afternoon in San Antonio, Tony Parker — Duncan's point guard for the past 10 seasons — echoed those doubts. Asked if a wiped-out 2011-12 season would also mean"
Spurs' Parker expects an NBA season
October 2
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Fresh off a star turn for France at last month's EuroBasket tournament, Spurs point guard Tony Parker spent Saturday afternoon in a rented gym in Alamo Heights, conducting what he hopes will be the first of many eponymous basketball clinics to come. Some 1,800 miles away at roughly the same time, inside a luxury hotel in midtown Manhattan, NBA owners and players were locked in a collective bargaining meeting that will in large part determine Parker's next move. Training camp in South Texas? Or the south of France? Should the news coming out of New York be bad, and the lockout prolonged, Parker says he's prepared to open the season playing for ASVEL, the French professional team he co-owns."
ESPN.com predicts challenging future for Spurs
September 29
San Antonio Express-News
 
"The state of Texas has accounted for seven NBA titles since 1994, with the Spurs claiming four, Houston two and Dallas notching the most recent championship. The "Texas Triangle" has traditional been a source of power teams. It might not be quite as rosy in the future. Chris Palmer of ESPN.com has an interesting breakdown of all three teams in a recent Insider post. Of them, San Antonio might be facing the biggest test to return to elite status."
Confident James Anderson ready for liftoff
September 23
San Antonio Express-News
 
"The change came in James Anderson not long into one of his first games at the Impact Competitive Basketball series last week. The second-year Spurs guard-forward was driving to the hoop, through a thicket of bodies, when an arm reached down and knocked the ball from his hands, making ample contact with his wrist and forearm in the process. Hearing no whistle, Anderson did something completely out of character. He opened his mouth. "That's a foul!" the 22-year-old known to even his closest friends as "Quiet James" bellowed at the nearest official. A few feet away, Joe Abunassar — the Las Vegas-based trainer whose gym hosted the so-called "Lockout League" and who has been working with"
NBA wants 3rd round in draft
September 7
SheridanHoops.com
 
"After an overnight flight connecting through Helsinki, Finland, I bumped into a scout for the Denver Nuggets near the tourist information booth at the quaint little airport here where the second round of EuroBasket is taking place. Whether he knows it or not, he may be here scouting future third-round draft picks. That's right: Third round. SheridanHoops.com has learned that NBA owners have proposed adding a third round to the annual draft, a proposal that the players' union has countered by offering an array of changes to the draft that would help address the owners' desire for more competitive balance."
NBA Lockout Update: Sides are closer than they're saying
September 6
SheridanHoops.com
 
"Here's the dirty little secret about the NBA lockout, despite what both sides — the owners and the players — would have you believe: They are a lot closer to a settlement than most people realize. I know this because I talk regularly with a bunch of important people who tell me important things, and I am going to explain why I believe a settlement will be reached that will not only save the season, but also enable the NBA to have an "all is forgiven" honeymoon period (similar to what the NFL just experienced following its labor settlement) in which the frenzy of free agents signings, trades, training camps and exhibition games will make everyone forget all of the doomsday talk they've been"
New Spur Joseph showing point potential
September 6
San Antonio Express-News
 
"The draft-night trade that sent George Hill to the Indiana Pacers so the Spurs could select forward Kawhi Leonard at No. 15 shocked Spurs fans. Not only was Hill a versatile, popular player, he was such a hard worker that he became one of coach Gregg Popovich's favorite Spurs. He also was the only truly reliable backup for Tony Parker at point guard. It took the Spurs little more than an hour to address the brief gap at backup point guard. Surprising many, the club used the 29th pick to select University of Texas guard Cory Joseph. Joseph, a native of the Toronto area, was a dual guard for the Longhorns, playing both backcourt positions. But in the NBA, he will play strictly at the"
Blair to play in Russia
September 3
San Antonio Express-News
 
"As expected, Spurs center DeJuan Blair signed with the Russian team Krasnye Krylya Samara for the duration of the NBA lockout. The pact includes an opt-out clause that will allow him to return to the Spurs once the labor impasse ends."
Casspi eyes Tony Parker's French team
August 23
ESPN.com
 
"The San Antonio Spurs would undoubtedly prefer to see them playing together in South Texas, but the prospect of Tony Parker and longtime Spurs favorite Omri Casspi teaming up in France is very much alive. Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com on Monday that Casspi is giving strong consideration to signing with ASVEL in France's top division. That's the same ASVEL club which claims Parker as a co-owner and as its vice president of basketball operations. It initially appeared that Casspi -- after being dealt from Sacramento to Cleveland on June 30 in the final trade consummated in the NBA before the start of the July 1 lockout -- was a lock to play for perennial Euroleague power"
Next bargaining session coming early September?
August 17
CBSSports.com
 
"It took 46 days for the NBA and its players' union after the lockout began July 1. It didn't go all that well. Rhetoric from both sides ramped up, lawsuits started flying around and most importantly, there wasn't any movement towards the middle. Then David Stern accused the union of cancelling a meeting last week with the union responding that Billy Hunter had been told Stern wasn't going to be available for two weeks. So as you can tell, this is all going just super. But they're finally going to try again sometime in early September, according to Newsday. At this point, the union will host an executive meeting in New York at the end of August. The anticipation is the union and league"
Could Tony Parker be headed to China during the lockout?
August 16
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Tony Parker had been presumed to be the most likely of the Spurs' "Big Three" to seek a playing opportunity overseas if the lockout stretched for several months and regular season games were missed. Most thought Parker would return home to play in France or nearby in Europe if he had the opportunity during the lockout. But it may turn out that Parker could be heading to the other side of the world to play very soon. Yahoo! Sports.com reports that Parker has engaged in "serious talks" with Chinese officials about playing there. Kobe Bryant reportedly has been offered $1.5 million per month to play in China. Sources indicate that Parker's potential contract could be about $700,000 per month."
Green headed to Slovenia, but could he be back?
August 16
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Danny Green, the second-year swingman who finished last season with the Spurs, is headed to Europe. Joining a swelling parade of NBA players poised to spend the lockout abroad, Green has agreed to a contract with Slovenian basketball league champion Union Olimpija. The deal is believed to include an opt-out clause that would allow Green to return to the NBA, where he would be a free agent. Green, 24, appeared in eight games over two stints with the Spurs last season, and also made four postseason appearances."
David Stern: NBA to look at contraction
August 15
CBSSports.com
 
"The NBA currently has thirty teams, but the league's commissioner, David Stern, seems open to the possibility that that number of franchises could shrink in the future. Speaking on an ESPN.com podcast, Stern stated that there is some interest in contraction from both the league and players sides and that the subject will be picked up after the current Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations are completed. "[Contraction] is not a subect that we're against," Stern said. "In fact, when you talk about revenue sharing, a number of teams have said that if you have a team that is perpetually going to be a recipient, aren't you better off with the ability to buy them in? Because between the"
P.J. could join A.J. with the Nets
August 12
San Antonio Express-News
 
"P.J. Carlesimo's career with the Spurs as an assistant coach never intersected with Avery Johnson's when he played with the team. But the power of Gregg Popovich's coaching philosophy apparently has a couple of mutual adherents and kindred spirits in Carlesimo and Johnson. Yahoo Sports reports that Carlesimo, formerly the lead assistant with the Toronto Raptors, is a "strong candidate" to join Johnson's coaching staff with the New Jersey Nets. It's a move that would make sense on a number of levels. The coaching philosophies of Johnson and Carlesimo are intertwined after their work with the Spurs. And Carlesimo, a former head coach at Seton Hall, is a beloved and legendary figure in the"
Manu to Argentine reporter: 'Two more years and then … I don't know'
August 9
San Antonio Express-News
 
"This was inevitable: As soon as Argentina began playing "friendly" warmup games to prepare for the FIBA Americas Olympic qualifying tournament that begins on Aug. 30 in Mar del Plata, Argentine sports journalists were going to take every opportunity to ask Manu Ginobili and some of his longtime teammates from the "golden generation" about their long-term basketball plans. Thus, a story about Ginobili that ran Sunday in "El Tribuno," following Argentina's friendly triumph over Paraguay, 82056, in Salta, Argentina. The story is headlined "There is a high possibility of leaving basketball in two years." Of course, Ginobili will be 36 when his contract with the Spurs expires in two years, so"
Novak hints that he could be headed for Spain or Russia during lockout
August 9
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Spurs backup forward Steve Novak says he is likely to play overseas during the lockout. Novak told Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal-Times that he plans to play in either Russia or Spain if the NBA's lockout extends into the regular season (Hat tip to Project Spurs.com). He would be the second player on the Spurs roster at the end of last season to play overseas during the lockout. Backup point guard Chris Quinn will play for BC Khimki in Russia on a one-year, $1 million contract."
NBPA ready to file motion to dismiss NBA's lawsuit
August 6
San Antonio Express-News
 
"The NBA Players Association are ready with their reponse to the NBA's federal lawsuit filed earlier this week. CBS Sports.com reports that the players will file a motion to dismiss that federal lawsuit and will likely do so in the next week to 10 days. The NBPA's response is hardly unexpected as they try to prove in court that the NBA's lockout is illegal. NBPA attorney Jeffrey Kessler told CBS Sports.com that the NBA's lawsuit "has no merit" and will use it as evidence of the league's bad-faith bargaining in a separate charge pending before the National Labor Relations Board. The most prominent agents are placing incredible pressure on NBPA executive director Billy Hunter to decertify"
George Hill considering playing in Europe during lockout
August 6
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Former Spurs guard George Hill always has enjoyed basketball competition. The lockout has to be killing Hill, even with the excitement of moving back home to play for the Indiana Pacers after his trade there by the Spurs last month in the Kawhi Leonard swap. Now, it appears that Hill is open to playing in Europe during the lockout. Hill's agent Michael Whitaker told Hoops Hype.com that his client is taking a "wait and see approach" to going overseas to play.

"If a team with the appropriate budget - that's an Euroleague or Eurocup team - is willing to give him an NBA out if and when the lockout ends, George will highly consider the offer," Whitaker said. "If the NBA season is"

TD, Manu listed among notable NBA players who may be ready to retire soon
August 3
San Antonio Express-News
 
"It's a day that Spurs Nation will be bracing for sooner rather than later. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili both have enjoyed remarkable careers for the Spurs. Duncan has developed into perhaps the greatest power forward in NBA history as he led the team to four NBA titles. Ginobili has emerged as one of the top international players in league history as a part of three championship teams. Both players made the All-Star Game last season, but their contributions to the team are waning. They were both listed in the Bleacher Report's list of 16 notable NBA players "who are going to be ready to hang them up.""
Spurs' Lindsey still in hunt for vacant Raptors' GM job
August 3
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Spurs assistant general manager Dennis Lindsey remains the most likely person in the Spurs' organizational structure to get a promotion with another team. Lindsey is one of four finalists for the vacant Toronto Raptors' general manager position after having been mentioned for several positions around the league in the last several seasons. Lindsey is one of the most respected management types in the NBA and has learned well under Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford during his five seasons with the Spurs. Earlier, he was with Houston for 11 seasons, finishing his tenure there as the team's director of player personnel. David Aldridge of NBA.com doesn't expect any movement in the next couple of"