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Richard Jefferson News & Rumors

Jefferson transitions to 3-point sniper
January 10
San Antonio Express-News
 
"When Richard Jefferson arrived in San Antonio in July of 2009, spoils of a trade that remains the boldest gamble of the Spurs' championship era, coach Gregg Popovich thought he knew what he was getting. In Jefferson, Popovich envisioned then, the Spurs finally had a do-it-all scoring weapon at small forward. "His old game was what we wanted," Popovich said. "He was more of a 'scorer' scorer." It has taken the better part of two mercurial seasons, and the offseason threat of amnesty, but Jefferson appears to have finally found his niche with the Spurs. As a 3-point marksman."
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.""
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"
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."
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"
Rumors fly as Trail Blazers explore options
June 23
Oregonian
 
"San Antonio Spurs All-Star point guard Tony Parker is on the trading block ... wait, check that, San Antonio's backup point guard, George Hill, is on the block. Phoenix Suns All-Star point guard Steve Nash is also available ... wait, check that, the Phoenix front office has emphatically denied that. The Minnesota Timberwolves are wavering on the second pick of the draft, debating between presumed No. 2 selection Derrick Williams and dark horse candidate Enes Kanter. Wait ... oh, nevermind. The NBA rumor mill was rampant Wednesday, like it always is this time of year, as the countdown toward the NBA draft reached its waning moments. But only one thing seems certain: As much as any draft in"
Tony Parker draws interest around league
June 23
San Antonio Express-News
 
"A year ago at this time, the Spurs were recently removed from a disappointing 50-win season that had culminated in a second-round Western Conference playoff sweep at the hands of the Phoenix Suns. And Tony Parker found himself the subject of trade rumors. Speculation that the Spurs' All-Star point guard would be shipped to New York in the run-up to the 2010 NBA Draft proved more figment of media imagination than anything else. Parker hung around to sign a four-year contract extension last November and help the Spurs to 61 victories and the West's No. 1 seed before a historic, first-round playoff ouster against the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies. Which, on the eve of another draft, has"
For Jefferson, changed form equals changed results
March 11
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Over the summer, the Spurs worked to change Richard Jefferson's head. They also changed his bank account. When they asked to change something even more sacred — his jump shot — Jefferson was ready to draw a line in the sand. He had shot the same way for nine NBA seasons, same grip, same release. It had worked out well for him. Spurs coaches, like counselors at some youth basketball camp, wanted to tinker with all that. "It was tough, but I bought in," said Jefferson, who took an immediate pay cut to return to the Spurs in July. "I trusted the coaches, and wanted to do what they needed me to do." The changes, under the watchful eye of coach Gregg Popovich, shooting coach Chip Engelland and"
Jefferson: Winning is best bridge to Brooklyn
February 15
New York Post
 
"When Jason Kidd came to Newark to play the Nets, he said he'd believe the team's new home in Brooklyn when he sees it. Richard Jefferson, Kidd's one-time running mate in New Jersey, last night said you better believe Brooklyn will become the team's home -- and potentially a lure. But if the team isn't winning, none of it will matter. "Obviously, it's going to happen," said Jefferson, who referred to construction progress photos the Nets first put up before Carmelo Anthony's Nuggets visited. "I just saw pictures of some of the construction. . . . But because they've been talking about it for so long is it tough for people to envision it? Yeah. "A lot will depend of the type of support they"
Aggressive move keys Jefferson's productivity
January 30
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Spurs forward Richard Jefferson's highest-scoring game in nearly two months began with an aggressive move that left Houston's best defender flat-footed. Taking a pass from DeJuan Blair in the right corner, Jefferson got past Shane Battier, a 2008-09 NBA All-Defensive selection, with a quick pump-fake that left the baseline open for a drive to the basket. He finished with a dunk, the first of seven field goals in eight shots that produced 18 points in the Spurs' 108-95 victory at the AT"
Richard Jefferson should have talked to Nets
January 6
Bergen Record
 
"The Nets could have had Richard Jefferson starting at small forward instead of Travis Outlaw if the price was right. After Jefferson became a free agent last summer, he wanted to return and help the Nets get back on track. "Having roots there, just respecting the organization and wanting to help bring them back to a level in which they had been accustomed to for most of the [last] decade, I explored that," Jefferson said. "That was something they really weren't interested in." The Nets appreciated everything Jefferson did during his seven years and considered reuniting with the one player who seemingly always wanted to stay with the franchise. But if Jefferson really wanted to rejoin the"
Parker-to-Jefferson alley oop becoming lethal Spurs weapon
January 3
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Back in the day, the Spurs' low-post offensive attack was about as exciting as a long string of late-night infomercials. Tim Duncan's bank shots and textbook cutting and passing was fun for the purists. But it didn't turn up very often on NBA.com's collection of big plays for the week. Tony Parker and Richard Jefferson are trying to change that tedium - one alley-oop basket at a time. The Spurs' point guard and athletic small forward have developed a unique relationship that has added some dash to the team's emerging offensive game. It worked again Saturday night in the Spurs' crushing 101-74 victory over Oklahoma City as Parker picked up his second double-double in points and assists in"
Jefferson finds home in corner
December 12
San Antonio Express-News
 
"The way the Spurs' offense is designed, wing players can make quite a living shooting 3-pointers from the corners. Bruce Bowen found shots aplenty there. So did Michael Finley. More recently, so has George Hill. Now in his second season with the Spurs, Richard Jefferson has found a home there, too. Living primarily in those corners, Jefferson is shooting 45.7 percent from 3-point range. Not only is that a career high, it's more than 10 points better than his career average. "I'm shooting a lot more threes than I've ever shot," Jefferson said. "That's what this offense breeds and what I'm trying to maximize." After going 5 for 6 in Friday's win over Atlanta, the most prolific long-range"
Jefferson grasping the 'Spurs Way'
October 26
San Antonio Express-News
 
"When Richard Jefferson arrived in San Antonio in 2009 after the trade that made him the Spurs' most significant trade acquisition of the 21st century, he heard plenty about the Spurs Way, a different approach to being a part of the silver and black that transcended basketball. On the eve of the 2010-11 regular-season opener, Jefferson, the Spurs starter at small forward, believes he finally understands what is involved in the Spurs culture. "I have a much better understanding of what it means and what they want from me," Jefferson said after Monday's final practice session before the Spurs meet the Indiana Pacers at the AT&T Center on Wednesday night. The meaning of the Spurs Way, of"
Evolving Jefferson helps Spurs ground Rockets
October 22
San Antonio Express-News
 
"When Richard Jefferson turned down $15.2 million to become a free agent this summer, most observers thought he was crazy. When he agreed to take a longer-term deal to return to a situation in San Antonio that at times last season seemed untenable, some thought he'd gone certifiable. Turns out, there was a motive behind Jefferson's madness. Good, old-fashioned human pride. "I didn't want to bail out and say I couldn't do it," Jefferson, 30-year-old small forward said Thursday, after the Spurs rallied to beat Houston 111-103 in their preseason finale. And so Jefferson spent the summer following the most miserable season of his career working directly with coach Gregg Popovich, taking"
Jefferson back on court; to play Thursday
October 6
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Richard Jefferson's ankle injury turned out to be less severe than feared. The Spurs' starting small forward was back on the practice court for the entirety of Tuesday's practice and has been cleared for Thursday's first preseason game in Houston. "I was surprised," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Jefferson's speedy recovery from the ankle pain that forced him out of Monday's session. "I thought he was going to be hurting for a day or two, but he came right out, and he was great. He's fine." Rookie center Tiago Splitter has had no such luck recovering from his injury. The strained plantaris muscle in his right calf needs more time to heal before he will be cleared to play. "He's a"
Jefferson ankle injury does not appear serious
October 5
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Starting small forward Richard Jefferson on Monday joined rookie center Tiago Splitter on the Spurs' injury list, tweaking his right ankle midway through a lengthy training camp session. The injury was not believed to be serious, and Jefferson may even be back at practice Wednesday and available for the first preseason game against the Rockets on Thursday at the Toyota Center in Houston. Splitter, meanwhile, continues to rehabilitate a strained plantaris muscle in his right calf while trying to learn as much as he can about the Spurs' offensive and defensive systems through observation. "With him, it's just as important to get the language down, what the calls are and a familiarity," coach"
Jefferson devoted summer to basics
September 27
San Antonio Express-News
 
"After a week watching the World Cup soccer tournament in South Africa, Spurs forward Richard Jefferson boarded a plane in Johannesburg on the morning of June 30. While he was on a 12-hour flight to London, his agent told the Spurs his client was opting out of the final season of his contract. "By the time I landed," Jefferson said, "I had 200 text messages." The general tone of the digital missives: "You did what?" "It was a lot of surprise," Jefferson recalled, "but also a lot of wishing me well. People who know you and support you will support whatever decision you make." Supporting Jefferson's decision was a true act of loyalty, for the veteran small forward left 15 million guaranteed"
Spurs make Jefferson's long-term deal official
July 22
San Antonio Express-News
 
"When small forward Richard Jefferson first arrived in San Antonio last summer via trade with Milwaukee, his entrance was met with the shout-from-the-rooftops pomp and circumstance befitting a visiting king. A year later, Jefferson's decision to re-sign with the Spurs — after opting out of a guaranteed $15.2 million for a shot at free agency — barely merited a whisper. The Spurs announced Jefferson's return in a spartan news conference Wednesday on a vacant concourse of the AT&T Center. The man of the hour didn't even attend. Even without the hoopla of a year earlier, general manager R.C. Buford considered it a bottom-line banner day for the Spurs. "We wouldn't have been as good a team had"
Jefferson will sign new deal today
July 21
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Eyebrows all over the NBA convulsed upward on June 30 when forward Richard Jefferson announced he had chosen to exercise the opt-out clause in the final season of his contract with the Spurs. Passing on $15.2 million, guaranteed, will cause that sort of reaction. After testing the waters of free agency, Jefferson will at last sign a new deal with the Spurs today that will keep him in silver and black for at least three more seasons — and eventually pay him more than he left behind — a league source said Tuesday. It's just going to take longer for Jefferson to accumulate all that money. Jefferson traveled to San Antonio on Tuesday for a physical examination. If cleared by the Spurs' medical"
Spurs and Jefferson likely to complete deal this week
July 20
ESPN.com
 
"This is the week, by all accounts, that San Antonio and Richard Jefferson will complete the restructured deal that we've all assumed had to be forthcoming since Jefferson stunningly opted out of a $15 million salary for next season on the eve of free agency. The specifics in terms of years and dollars remain unknown, but I've been assured that Jefferson will officially be back with the Spurs quite soon."
Richard Jefferson likely to be back with Spurs, they also want Raja Bell
July 14
San Antonio Express-News
 columnist Mike Monroe
"The Spurs aren't done re-shaping their roster. By week's end, Richard Jefferson likely will be back at a salary tolerable to Spurs fans and chairman Peter Holt. Raja Bell may also be a Spur, at last. Gregg Popovich would have kept him on his roster in 2000 if only he hadn't given in to others on his staff who liked Derrick Dial more. Bell would be a huge defensive upgrade over Roger Mason Jr. and just as reliable a 3-point shooter. Others understand Bell's value, too, even at age 33. Would a defensive stopper who once clothes-lined Kobe Bryant turn down Bryant's promise to welcome him to a team that has won the last two NBA titles? More to the point: Can he forgive the Lakers for having"
Waiting game on for Jefferson, Spurs
July 3
San Antonio Express-News
 
"They've been wined, they've been dined, they've had it all chronicled on Twitter. The NBA power trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have turned the first 48 hours of free agency into a three-ring, speed-dating circus, their every move broadcast 'round the clock on ESPN and the Internet. It's a safe bet Richard Jefferson, a once and possibly future Spur, has been watching it all unfold with keen interest. Though Jefferson has told close associates he opted out of his contract earlier this week in hopes of signing a long-term deal with the Spurs, he is expected to first test the free-agent market for better offers. New York, New Jersey or Miami could be in position to make an"
Jefferson's return could be imminent
July 2
San Antonio Express-News
 
"It might not be long before Richard Jefferson is back on the Spurs' payroll. Jefferson, who opted out of the final year of his contract Wednesday, has told close associates his top priority in free agency is to secure a new multi-year deal with the Spurs. In a decision that stunned many NBA observers, the oft-maligned small forward turned down $15.2 million to enter the free-agent market, which opened for business Thursday. His agent, Todd Eley, said Jefferson made the move in the name of long-term security. Jefferson, 30, hopes for a new, longer contract before the league's collective bargaining agreement is revamped next summer. The Spurs are open to granting Jefferson's wish, so long as"
Jefferson move likely not as foolish as it seems
July 1
San Antonio Express-News
 columnist Mike Monroe
"Spurs fans who celebrated the news that Richard Jefferson opted out of the final year of his contract — and questioned his sanity for passing on the $15 million he is guaranteed to make next season — were as misguided as they assumed Jefferson to be. Unless it's payday and you're Peter Holt, there is no reason to feel good about the prospect of having Jefferson disappear from the Spurs roster, no matter how underwhelming his first season in silver and black may have been. The Spurs chairman won't have to sign any more of those bloated paychecks with Jefferson's name, but he is a basketball man at heart, so he knows this is true: From a basketball standpoint, losing Jefferson does not help"
Surprise: Spurs' Jefferson opts out, will test free agency
July 1
San Antonio Express-News
 
"When Richard Jefferson came to San Antonio last summer, arriving in a ballyhooed trade with Milwaukee that sent his new team hurtling past the luxury tax threshold, it was hailed as the sort of spendthrift move the Spurs never do. Jefferson returned the surprise Wednesday. In a calculated gamble that seemed to catch the rest of the NBA off guard, Jefferson informed the Spurs he was opting out of the final season of his contract, giving up $15.2 million to become an unrestricted free agent. Jefferson's agent, Todd Eley, characterized the decision as a means to take advantage of a sellers' free-agent market this summer, and hedge against the uncertainty of an NBA collective bargaining"
Spurs' Jefferson takes what's offered
May 7
San Antonio Express-News
 
"It had been a long time since a throng of people had gathered around Richard Jefferson to give him credit, and now that it was finally happening again, he didn't want it. Standing in front of his locker after Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals in Phoenix on Wednesday, Jefferson didn't want slaps on the back for getting 13 shots. He didn't want kudos for scoring 18 points, or accolades for taking more of an initiative in creating his own offense. The way Jefferson explained it, shots aren't something he can manufacture; they're something he's given. And if he allowed himself to take credit for the ones he took Wednesday, then he'd have to take the blame for the all the ones he"
Jefferson, Spurs redeem themselves
April 22
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Two days earlier, he had been obliquely called a dog in public and probably heard worse in private. All along, Spurs forward Richard Jefferson tried to chalk it up to the heat of the postseason. "Everything is going to be intensified, everything is going to be overanalyzed," Jefferson said. "You go from one day being a hero to the next day being a zero. That's just the way it is." In the Spurs' crucial 102-88 victory over the Mavericks in Game 2 on Wednesday, Jefferson got to enjoy how the other half lived. Branded a goat or a dog or who knows what other kind of animal after his Game 1 struggles Sunday, Jefferson responded with 19 points and seven rebounds to help the Spurs even the"
Spurs' Richardson Jefferson unleashed on Mavericks
April 22
Dallas Morning News
 
"Doggone it, Richard Jefferson declined to woof, much less bite back at Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. There's no doubt Jefferson was among the mongrels Popovich's had in mind when he declared after Game 1 that the Spurs "had a lot of guys play like dogs." But rather than snarl or tuck his tail, Jefferson unleashed himself on the Mavericks, contributing 19 points and seven rebounds to San Antonio's 102-88 win Wednesday at American Airlines Center. Along with the 1-1 series tie and loss of home-court advantage, the Mavericks have this upon which to chew between now and Game 3 Friday in San Antonio: The Spurs' Big Three of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker may have a helper. "He was the"
Jefferson, Spurs redeem themselves and take game two
April 22
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Two days earlier, he had been obliquely called a dog in public and probably heard worse in private. All along, Spurs forward Richard Jefferson tried to chalk it up to the heat of the postseason. "Everything is going to be intensified, everything is going to be overanalyzed," Jefferson said. "You go from one day being a hero to the next day being a zero. That's just the way it is." In the Spurs' crucial 102-88 victory over the Mavericks in Game 2 on Wednesday, Jefferson got to enjoy how the other half lived. Branded a goat or a dog or who knows what other kind of animal after his Game 1 struggles Sunday, Jefferson responded with 19 points and seven rebounds to help the Spurs even the"
Time for Jefferson to earn his spurs
April 17
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Throughout those first tumultuous months in San Antonio, when it seemed as if Richard Jefferson might never find his way, his new Spurs teammates sought to soothe him the best they could. The second season in coach Gregg Popovich's system, they told him, is always easier than the first. As midseason passed with Jefferson still scuffling, even that ceased to provide solace. By then, he wasn't sure there would be a tomorrow, much less a next season. "There have been times when Pop has wanted to shoot me and bury me someplace," Jefferson said. "I was just hoping I was going to be around for a second year, the way I was playing." Jefferson's first Spurs postseason, which opens Sunday in"
Spurs pin hopes on Jefferson, Ginobili
March 19
San Antonio Express-News
 
"For months, Richard Jefferson tried in vain to block out the criticism. He heard the grumblings about a disappointing season, about failing to live up to expectations, about a career at a crossroads. Looking back, Jefferson can't believe what people were saying about Manu Ginobili. "He missed half the season last year, didn't do much in the summer to rest his ankle — you'd think it might take him 40 games to get back into it," said Jefferson, the Spurs small forward. "But that doesn't make much of a story." Of course, Jefferson has dealt with his own share of criticism, too. For a while during January and February, his name was cursed more often around these parts than Santa Anna's. Just"
Popovich gratified by Jefferson's effort
March 17
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Spurs forward Richard Jefferson is relatively certain he's playing better now than he was earlier in the season. After all, he's getting plenty of positive feedback from coach Gregg Popovich. "Pop is only cussing me out once or twice a game now, instead of five or six," Jefferson said. "So that's encouraging." In reality, Popovich has been thrilled with what Jefferson has been producing in three games since rejoining the starting lineup. He had his third solid effort in Tuesday's 88-76 victory at Miami, notching 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting and snaring eight rebounds. More encouraging, meanwhile, was the manner in which Jefferson got his final two field goals. With the Spurs struggling to"
Jefferson says he's best alongside Ginobili
March 16
San Antonio Express-News
 
"When it comes down to it, Richard Jefferson doesn't care if he starts or comes off the bench for the Spurs. His only request of coach Gregg Popovich: As much time alongside Manu Ginobili as possible, please. "I think Pop is still trying to find that magic, to get everybody on the same page," Jefferson said before Monday's practice at AmericanAirlines Arena. "Playing with Manu definitely helps." It is no coincidence that Jefferson's best seasons came in New Jersey with Jason Kidd setting him up. He hopes to create a reasonable facsimile with Ginobili, the closest player to Kidd the Spurs have on their roster. Jefferson, who has struggled for much of his inaugural season with the Spurs,"
Jefferson might earn redemption in playoffs
March 3
San Antonio Express-News
 
"The seeds of Michael Finley's discontent were sown the day the Spurs traded for Richard Jefferson. Finley knew his role would shrink. What he couldn't see was his drop in offensive efficiency after a sprained ankle put him on the shelf far longer than he thought necessary. Finley's departure changes nothing about Jefferson's importance. If the Spurs are to make noise in the playoffs, he still must be a major contributor. Gregg Popovich knows this, one reason he vigorously defends Jefferson from suggestions his struggles account for the Spurs' current spot in the Western playoff structure. "I think the biggest struggle he has is you (media) guys, who try to make it a bigger deal than it"
Jefferson's approach delivers big results for Spurs
March 1
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Warming to his role as Manu Ginobili's off-the-bench sidekick, Spurs forward Richard Jefferson has approached recent games with one goal in mind: "My game plan from here on out?" he said. "Just drive and keep driving and driving." Jefferson's commitment to aggression at the offensive end Sunday afternoon produced his first 20-point game since Dec. 29 as he helped the Spurs defeat the Phoenix Suns 113-110 at the AT&T Center. The timing of his most productive game of 2010 — he also had five assists, three of them in the fourth period — was appreciated by his teammates. "He needs to play well for us to go anywhere," said team captain Tim Duncan, one of three Spurs with at least 20 points."
Spurs' Jefferson inspired by Ginobili
February 26
San Antonio Express-News
 
"In a season that has produced 19 different Spurs starting lineups, including one that had team captain and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Tim Duncan coming off the bench, nothing qualifies as a surprise. For Richard Jefferson, a starter through nearly all of his first eight NBA seasons and a starter in the first 39 Spurs games this season, a recent demotion to the bench is easier to take just by glancing quickly at the locker next to his at the AT&T Center. It belongs to Manu Ginobili. "No, it's not hard at all to accept," Jefferson said. "I just want to win. You look at a guy like Manu, who's been All-NBA, one of the best players in this league, and he comes off the bench. "Starting"
Spurs' Jefferson will play strictly small forward
February 25
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Gregg Popovich had a chat with Richard Jefferson before the Spurs played the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night at the AT&T Center. What Popovich said was music to Jefferson's ears: For the time being, at least, his playing time would come strictly at the small forward position. Jefferson's response was just what Popovich wanted: More aggression, especially going after missed shots. Jefferson grabbed nine rebounds, two shy of his season high. "I thought he was very aggressive in just about everything he did," Popovich said. "That's what we want him to do all the time, because when you're aggressive like that, and when he goes to the boards, it makes us a better team." Aggression on"
Spurs shopping Jefferson before trade deadline
February 17
SI.com
 
"Displeased with the way he has fit into their system, the San Antonio Spurs are attempting to trade forward Richard Jefferson just days before the trade deadline, multiple league sources have confirmed. However, because of Jefferson's lack of production this season, as well as his $14.2 million salary, it does not seem likely the Spurs are going to find any takers. "They're trying, but there may not be a market for his contract," one Eastern Conference executive told SI.com. Jefferson has one year and $15.2 million remaining after this season."
Jefferson surprised by kudos from Popovich
January 30
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Spurs coach Gregg Popovich's assessment of Richard Jefferson's defensive work on Memphis' high-scoring forward, Rudy Gay, in Friday's game at the AT"
Spurs' Jefferson agrees he has underachieved
January 24
San Antonio Express-News
 
"There are those who say Spurs forward Richard Jefferson has not been playing up to the potential that made him one of the NBA's most hyped acquisitions of the offseason. Among those who agree with this line of thinking - Richard Jefferson. "I particularly haven't been playing as well as I would like," Jefferson said. "Everyone kind of has to look in the mirror and try to step it up." Jefferson is averaging 12.8 points per game, tied with Manu Ginobili for third on the team, but isn't producing the bang for the 14.2 million bucks the Spurs are paying him this season. In June, the Spurs traded for Jefferson, a career 17.7 points-per-game scorer, in hopes that he would help them avoid the"
Spurs' Jefferson rues Nets' slide
January 10
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Richard Jefferson's first season in New Jersey ended in the 2002 NBA Finals, and he repeated the trip in 2003, when he was part of a Nets team that fell victim to the second of the Spurs' championship runs. Watching from afar as the Nets opened the 2009-10 season by setting a dubious record for the worst start in league history - 18 losses in a row before finally beating the Charlotte Bobcats on Dec. 4 - was difficult for a player who still has friends inside the organization. "You feel for them," said Jefferson, acquired by the Nets on draft night 2001 in a swap of first-round picks with the Houston Rockets. "You feel for the people who are there. You feel for the fans." Before the Nets"
Jefferson holds his own against bigger foes
December 30
San Antonio Express-News
 
"With power forward-center Matt Bonner on the shelf with a broken bone in his right hand, Spurs small forward Richard Jefferson has found himself matched up defensively with power forwards for significant stretches recently. The list of big men Jefferson has banged with in the post includes Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge, Milwaukee's Hakim Warrick, New York's Al Harrington and, on Tuesday night at the AT"
Kings to Holt: No reason for doubt
December 10
San Antonio Express-News
 columnist Buck Harvey
"Maybe Peter Holt feels better after Wednesday night. Then, Richard Jefferson played like the investment he was supposed to be. Or maybe Holt wonders if he made the right decision last summer. He splurged on a roster that is currently 10-9, and this went against what he once believed in. But if doubt is going through his mind, someone has a message for him. This person once splurged, too. "And I don't regret a thing," said Gavin Maloof, one of the owners of the Sacramento Kings. The Spurs can still recover this season, especially if Manu Ginobili ends a few more games as he did against Maloof's Kings. Holt has always been optimistic; he stuck by Gregg Popovich in the early days, and he"
Jefferson, Ginobili spark Spurs
December 10
San Antonio Express-News
 
"The idea arose the way many outlandish ideas in the NBA arise. From players with too much time on their hands. During a lull in practice Tuesday, Tony Parker and Richard Jefferson got to talking about Jefferson's former life as a prolific alley-oop receiver, and how he hadn't completed one since coming to San Antonio. "I said, 'We have to do something,'" Parker said. "We had to get Richard one alley-oop." Less than 40 seconds into the Spurs' skid-stopping 118-106 victory over Sacramento on Wednesday night, Parker and Jefferson indeed did something about it. Jefferson cut strong behind a baseline screen and rose toward the rim. One pass and one catch later, the pair had connected on their"
Duncan continues to fuel Spurs' engine
December 1
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Two months ago, Richard Jefferson arrived for the start of his first Spurs training camp and opened with a joke. Somebody asked about the benefits of playing with a future Hall of Famer like Tim Duncan. Jefferson went straight for the punchline. "His game is pretty much trash now," Jefferson cracked. "I've told him that multiple times, that's why they brought me in here - because of his deteriorating body." Apprised later of Jefferson's ha-ha moment, Duncan smiled - and agreed. "I'm just along for the ride," Duncan said at the time. Funny thing, though: A month into his 13th NBA season, No. 21 is the one driving the bus for the Spurs. Through 15 games, Duncan leads the team in scoring"
Jefferson provided stability in brief stay as Buck
November 23
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"Richard Jefferson made a brief stopover in Milwaukee, playing one season for the Bucks. But the 6-foot-7 forward still delivered a strong impression while starting all 82 games before being traded to San Antonio during the past off-season. The trade had more to do with the economic realities of the National Basketball Association and the $29 million remaining on his contract than it did with Jefferson's abilities. On Monday night, Jefferson will go against his former team for the first time since the June 23 trade, which Bucks general manager John Hammond used to gain financial flexibility while picking up three new players as a direct result of the deal. Jefferson and the Spurs are off to"
Jefferson remains thankful to Bucks
November 23
San Antonio Express-News
 
"The past six months have been a half-year of change for Richard Jefferson. He has changed addresses, changed uniforms, changed roles. Jefferson, however, is happy at least one thing remained the same after his June trade from Milwaukee to the Spurs. "The paycheck doesn't change," Jefferson joked. Indeed, the $14.2 million Jefferson will earn in his first season with the Spurs is the same $14.2 million he was scheduled to earn with the Bucks. Tonight, Jefferson will attempt to earn his sizeable paycheck with his new team at the expense of his old one. The Bucks visit the AT"