The San Antonio Spurs simply will not go away.
In fact, odds are that the Spurs will get stronger next season. Sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN that the Spurs are optimistic about their chances of re-signing veteran stalwarts Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan.
No official decisions have been made regarding retirement, but Duncan and Ginobili are in the twilight of their respective careers.
In the event of a return, the Spurs expect Duncan and Ginobili to take discounts to facilitate the potential acquisition of free agent LaMarcus Aldridge.
Stein reports that the Spurs remain the favorites to land Aldridge, who will likely leave Portland despite Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey's proclamations. The Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks are also in the hunt for Aldridge's services.
However, the Spurs will be hard pressed to facilitate the addition of Aldridge given Kawhi Leonard's status as a restricted free agent. Both players will command max salaries, which will consume the entirety of San Antonio's cap room. That leaves very little wiggle room for Duncan and Ginobili, therefore necessitating discounts.
One option to create flexibility would be to deal Tiago Splitter, who earns $8.5 million next season. However, Stein reports that the Spurs rebuffed offers for Splitter during Thursday's draft.
But the Spurs will likely part ways with their other free agents, which includes Cory Joseph, Marco Belinelli, and Danny Green. There's simply not enough money to re-sign everyone.
That being said, adding Aldridge to a Spurs team that won 55 games last season would easily make up for the loss of a few role players. Pairing a four-time All-Star in Aldridge with a core of Duncan, Tony Parker, and Leonard would make the Spurs a lethal matchup for any team in the West.
