Manu Ginobili Announces He Will Return for 2016-17 NBA Season

San Antonio Spurs veteran guard Manu Ginobili announced on his blog Sunday that he will return to the NBA and the Spurs for the 2016-17 season. 

"The most important news to tell you is I am determined to continue playing in the NBA," he wrote, as translated by Casey Keirnan of NBC News 4 in San Antonio.

Ginobili opted out of his contract for the 2016-17 season in June, though Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com reported at the time that Ginobili was expected to return to San Antonio.

The 38-year-old averaged 9.6 points, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 58 games for the Spurs last season, coming off the bench.

While the Spurs are no longer built around the Big Three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Ginobili—Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge are now the stars—the Argentine shooting guard remains a valuable option in the rotation for San Antonio.

Nonetheless, the Spurs could have a much different look next year.

Duncan opted to take his player option for the 2016-17 season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, which means he'll return to the team unless he retires, a possibility he is still reportedly mulling. The Spurs are also reportedly in the mix to sign free agent Pau Gasol, per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com.

While the return of Duncan and the addition of Gasol would make the Spurs more formidable, the team will be in the running for an NBA title regardless, which is likely a key factor in Ginobili's expected return. His days of being a focal point of the offense are long behind him, but he remains an efficient scorer off the bench in limited minutes and an experienced presence in the locker room for San Antonio. 

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