Chris Paul Changes Deal with Warriors; Spurs Target? San Antonio Tracker
JUNE 29 CHRIS PAUL FUTURE PLAYS The Golden State Warriors have found common ground with Chris Paul - if you consider agreeing to create an exit plan to be common ground.
To create more time for trade exploration, Paul agreed to push back the date to guarantee his $30 million contract for the 2024-2025 season.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Originally, Friday was the deadline, locking in the Warriors to Paul's deal. However, Paul and the Warriors are playing nice, permitting the delay to the start of free agency on Sunday. ... and fueling speculation that a team like the Spurs could use some elbow room - and maybe could use a team leader like CP3 - to help in the Wemby era.
JUNE 25 HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TIM DUNCAN With the first pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs select Tim Duncan, from Wake Forest University.
Duncan would go on to play 19 seasons with the Spurs, winning five championships, and two MVPs, and was a 15-time All-Star and All-Defensive selection. He is easily the greatest Spur of all time and is the league's greatest power forward to ever play. The Spurs selected him first overall in 1997, 27 years ago today.
JUNE 22 TOBIAS? Tobias Harris is a glue guy. And he's reportedly on the Spurs wish list.
Harris, with 13 NBA seasons to his credit, is coming off a year where he averaged 17.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Now he'll be a free agent. And Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report is attaching San Antonio to him.
Via Haynes: "Utah, Detroit, San Antonio, Dallas and New Orleans. Dallas and New Orleans those will probably have to be sign-and-trade type scenarios. Those are teams that I'm hearing that are expected to have some level of interest in Tobias Harris this summer."
JUNE 19 PINPOINT? With both the No. 4 and the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Spurs have some muscle and some options. And at this moment - early still though it is - there is a rumor about a pinpointed guy.
UConn playmaker Stephon Castle is that guy, per ESPN.
Castle “has been most strongly connected to San Antonio,” per ESPN’s Jeremy Woo.
What would the Spurs be getting here?
In 2023-24, Castle earned Big East Rookie of the Year and NCAA All-Tournament honors while averaging 11.1 points, 2.9 assists, and 0.8 steals per game. His perimeter shooting game is not strong, but at 6-foot-7 and 210 pounds, he has lots of tools.
And an NCAA title.
MAY 21 DERRICK WHITE FOR MVP? A panel of ESPN employees gave their Conference Finals picks and MVP selections. Most of the Eastern Conference MVP picks went to the usual: Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. However, one reporter took the "is he trolling" route by selecting former San Antonio Spurs Derrick White for ECF MVP.
White is averaging 18 points on 42 percent three-point shooting in the postseason.
MAY 20 GIVE THE SPURS A REASON TO TOAST While the San Antonio Spurs don't have much to celebrate as they sit at home, waiting for the Conference Finals competition, at least they can eat some cake. Jeremy Sochan, the once-perceived point guard of San Antonio, turns the big 2-1 today. Perhaps he can take a shot in tribute to the days of San Antonio's postseason success.
Before the young wing celebrates too hard, though, perhaps he can work on his jump shot first. Sochan converted only 30 percent of his three-point shots last season.
MAY 17 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TONY PARKER! Tony Parker, 2007 NBA Finals MVP, turned 42 today. In 18 seasons, Parker earned six All-Star nods, four NBA championships, and a Finals MVP in 2007. The San Antonio Spurs point guard was known for his tear-drop floater and is fourth in franchise history in points at 18,943.
MAY 14 NIKOLA TOPIC LIKELY AVAILABLE FOR PRE-DRAFT ACTIVITIES Despite suffering a knee injury in the ABA Finals, Serbian guard Nikola Topic "should be good to go for pre-draft activities," according to ESPN. The NBA prospect is projected to go fourth overall to the San Antonio Spurs.
MAY 14 WEMBY BY KD Kevin Durant has issued his 10-years-down-the-line prediction. The subject? Who he thinks will be the best player the league 10 years from now.
It didn't take him long to come up with the obvious answer. In his interview with Rich Kleiman on Boardroom media network, Durant immediately turned to ... well, you know."Hmm, 10 years, so that's what ... (2034) — Victor. ... Wembanyama,'' he answered, citing the Spurs 7-4 French sensation who won Rookie of the Year in his first season and yes ... could be winning - hopefully, it all - in the coming decade.
May 13 ON THIS DAY IN SPURS HISTORY Despite the San Antonio Spurs looking on the outside of the NBA playoff bracket, there are still many legendary moments of which to reminisce. However, in this case, history resides on the opposing side. On this day in 2004, Los Angeles Lakers Derek Fisher hit one of the luckiest shots in NBA history.
Following a possession in which Tim Duncan converted on a contested fadeaway, Fisher hit a three-point shot with 0.4 seconds left in regulation, giving the Lakers a 3-2 lead in the series. The Spurs would end up losing the series, with the Lakers ultimately falling against the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals. Brighter days are to come for San Antonio.
MAY 9 COACH FIRED Frank Vogel has been dumped in Phoenix, as on Thursday the Suns have fired their coach after just one season. The Suns entered the year with hopes that their All-Star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal would lead them to success. But they were just the 6-seed in the Western Conference and they got swept by Minnesota in Round 1 of the playoffs.