Playing Keep or Cut with Each of San Antonio Spurs' Free Agents
After a disappointing first-round playoff exit spoiled their chances of repeating, the San Antonio Spurs have just five players under contract for the upcoming season, which means that this summer will be a watershed one for the team.
The front office will have to balance the need to rebuild with the need to retool in order to guarantee long-term success as well as another title before the Big Three call it quits.
In addition to re-signing veterans Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili and soon-to-be superstar Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs have a handful of decisions to make—some more difficult than others.
Though an overhaul isn't necessarily on the horizon, the Spurs are in store for an identity makeover. Even so, a number of the team's outgoing free agents should be top offseason priorities for San Antonio to chase.
Reggie Williams and Jeff Ayres
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2014-15 Salaries: $487,905 (Williams), $1,828,750 (Ayres)
San Antonio brought in Reggie Williams to fill the final roster spot after the team waived Austin Daye. Averaging five minutes in 20 games played, Williams scored just less than two full points per game on sub-40 percent shooting.
He served as little more than a roster-filler, and as the team strives to begin its rebuilding process prior to the Big Three's departure, it's safe to assume that Williams' brief tenure in San Antonio won't see an extension.
Jeff Ayres, on the other hand, has been with the team for two full seasons, though he too will not likely see another contract come his way.
Brought in as DeJuan Blair's replacement, Ayres was believed to be a more versatile big with mid-range abilities to supplement his inside skills. Spurs fans saw nothing of the sort, though, as Ayres quickly fell out of the rotation, playing just 383 total minutes in 2014-15.
His two-year stint with the team saw lows and even greater lows, making it hard to see the front office wasting a roster spot regardless of his locker-room presence.
Verdict: Cut
Matt Bonner
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2014-15 Salary: $1,448,490
Matt Bonner has been with the Spurs since 2006-07, has won two titles with the team and is a fan favorite.
That's going to make it difficult for the front office to do what it has to do this summer—cut him loose.
At one point in his career, he was a useful big-man three-point specialist. But his efficiency from beyond the arc has been trending down, and in 2014-15 he shot a mere 36.5 percent from deep—hardly an acceptable average for a specialist.
He brings nothing to the table as a defender or rebounder, and while his spot in the rotation comes after Tim Duncan, Tiago Splitter, Boris Diaw and Aron Baynes, the Spurs can't waste a roster spot for sentimental reasons.
As Pounding the Rock's Michael Erler noted: "And your aforementioned crew is: 39-year-old, second-fattest guy in the NBA, Mr. Chronic Calf Problem and the dude who was obliterated by Blake Griffin."
The Spurs need to begin cultivating young talent for the post-Big Three era. As much as the fans might love Bonner, there's no room for him anymore, especially after a season in which he failed to do the only thing that was expected of him.
Verdict: Cut
Aron Baynes
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2014-15 Salary: $2,100,000
The Spurs nearly parted ways with Aron Baynes after last year, waiting until the last minute to bring him back for the 2014-15 season. After re-signing him to a one-year deal, they are in the same position once again, though the decision shouldn't be a difficult one—at least until money becomes a factor.
Baynes' most recent campaign was easily his best yet, with the Australian banger continuously setting new personal records as he made strides throughout the season. Averaging 6.6 points on 57 percent shooting—a huge increase from his 2013-14 percentage of 43.6—Baynes played his way into the rotation, even starting for a stint while Splitter struggled.
He has become a viable scoring threat down low and remains a high-impact player on the glass given his sheer size. At 28 years old, with just three years of NBA experience, he's trending in the right direction and will continue to grow as a player as his skills are refined.
Unless he demands a salary that exceeds the $4 to $5 million he's expected to get, Baynes should be a target for the team this offseason, if not a priority.
He'll remain a backup, but his growth over the course of the season—and his quality play during Splitter's injury—suggests he could be a legitimate asset as a player, not just a big body.
Verdict: Keep
Marco Belinelli
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2014-15 Salary: $2,873,750
Belinelli's second season in San Antonio saw a major drop-off in production from his first, as it became clear that the high-efficiency play on display in the first half of 2013-14 was Belinelli's peak.
As an eight-year, 29-year-old NBA veteran, he has little room to grow. While he's serviceable as a scorer off the bench, he's not worth another investment when you consider alternative options.
Patty Mills has become a reliable second-unit spark and seems destined to fill Manu Ginobili's sixth-man role once he retires. If Belinelli expects a pay raise to be the Spurs' third dynamic shooter off the bench, he's sadly mistaken.
Sure, if he doesn't ask for a salary increase, he might fall within the team's price range. But as San Antonio looks to get younger and bigger across the board while simultaneously bringing back other outgoing free agents, Belinelli isn't a priority.
He's a career NBA journeyman, and some team will offer him more money and utilize his talents in a way San Antonio cannot. There's a place for him in this league still—no doubt about that—but not with the Spurs.
Verdict: Cut
Cory Joseph
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2014-15 Salary: $2,134,593
The 2014-15 season was a breakout one for Cory Joseph, who averaged career highs in points (6.8), assists (2.4), rebounds (2.4), steals (0.6), field-goal percentage (.504) and three-point percentage (.364).
On the offensive end, Joseph looked confident and comfortable as the primary backup point guard. He stepped up during Patty Mills' absence at the year's start, as well as while Tony Parker was sidelined in December. Throw in his flair as a perimeter stopper and, at 23, Joseph has the potential to blossom into a starting point guard.
However, his rapidly rising value might take him out of San Antonio's price range. The team doesn't need another point guard with Parker and Mills already locked up. If Joseph's asking price is too high, San Antonio will have to make the difficult decision and let him walk.
Nonetheless, if he's willing to rejoin the roster for around $5 million, the team shouldn't hesitate, especially if it lets Belinelli go.
Verdict: Depends on asking price
Kawhi Leonard
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2014-15 Salary: $3,053,368
Kawhi Leonard has both a Finals MVP and a Defensive Player of the Year award to his name. He's developed a versatile offensive game to supplement his services as a lockdown defensive player, and is a bona fide rebounder at the 3. And, he's just 23 years old.
Does anything else even need to be said?
Leonard is on his way to great things. Recently ranked by NBA.com as the ninth-best player to build a franchise around, he's well worth the max deal he's expected to get, per Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo.
He's been the Spurs' defensive leader along the perimeter for a while now, but after leading them in scoring in both the regular season and the playoffs—he averaged more than 20 points this postseason—he is in line to be the franchise's centerpiece.
Keeping Leonard is a no-brainer, even with a max deal on the horizon.
Verdict: Keep
Danny Green
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2014-15 Salary: $4,025,000
The decision to re-sign Danny Green will likely be the most difficult one for San Antonio. His NBA career was reborn in 2011-12 when he got a shot in the rotation when Manu Ginobili succumbed to injury. Since then, he has blossomed into one of the league's premier three-and-D players.
He averaged a career-high 11.7 points in 2014-15, averaging more than 40 percent from deep for the fourth straight season. He also averaged a full block and a full steal, being the only guard to do so.
However, he's in line for a potential double-digit payday. Despite being pricey, Green should be a priority for the front office. Since the team owns his Bird rights, it will be able to overpay—an action that will be negated when the salary cap surges once the new TV deal hits.
He's still in his prime at age 27, and as an elite defender and lethal three-point threat, he has been invaluable to the team's success. Even with a huge raise headed his way, Green's return to San Antonio is a necessity, both for current and future success.
Verdict: Keep
Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan
8 of 82014-15 Salaries: $7,000,000 (Ginobili), $10,361,446 (Duncan)
When Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan leave San Antonio, they'll do so on their own terms. Duncan just finished his 18th year in black and silver, having never donned another team's colors. The same applies to Ginobili, whose 2014-15 campaign marked his 13th as an NBA player.
Even at 39 years old, Duncan is one of the league's top bigs, consistently using his veteran savvy to dominate the block on both ends of the floor. His 14-point, nine-rebound season—while averaging 29 minutes of playing time—was enough to earn him Third-Team All NBA honors, indicating that the league's second-oldest active player still has plenty left in his tank.
Ginobili's health has been shaky since he passed his prime, but San Antonio's sixth man remains an integral piece to the team's success and one of the most valuable bench sparks—both in scoring and facilitating—in the Association.
Only retirement could possibly get in the way of their respective returns, but as the above video outlines, there's a good chance the Big Three will see another season together.
Verdict: Keep
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