San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio Spurs chairman Peter J. Holt released a statement Tuesday saying the NBA franchise is "here to stay" despite rumors about potential relocation.

The Spurs posted Holt's full comments on Twitter:

Last week, officials in Texas' Bexar County granted the Spurs an expansion on the number of games it can host outside its home arena, which is set to go through a name change ahead of the 2022-23 season, from two to four.

County Judge Nelson Wolff said during the meeting the narrow success of the vote, 3-2, showed there was concern and requested further information from team ownership, per KSAT's Garrett Brnger.

"That's not a good sign. Alright?" Wolff said. "It shows you that there's a divided opinion in this community as to the intention of the Spurs, that there's a lot of concern about just what the heck you're doing."

Wolff wrote on Twitter he now has "full confidence" in the Spurs' future based on the "heartfelt statement" from Holt.

The previously named AT&T Center was also part of the concern after the telecommunications giant opted against extending its naming rights agreement.

Team CEO R.C. Buford maintained the Spurs were "committed" to the city while also trying to expand their reach beyond the U.S.' 31st-ranked media market, per Scott Huddleston of San Antonio Express-News.

"We are committed to finding new, creative ways to purposefully engage and celebrate our fans from Mexico to Austin, continuing to expand our regional fanbase," Buford said.

The Spurs are looking at the possibility of playing "home" games in Austin, Mexico City and San Antonio's famed Alamodome in 2022-23, according to Huddleston.

One goal is to avoid the "rodeo road trip," which often forces the franchise away from its home arena for much of February during the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.

The Spurs franchise, which began as the Dallas Chaparrals in 1967, has resided in San Antonio since 1973 and joined the NBA in 1976.

Their five NBA championships rank fifth in league history behind only the Los Angeles Lakers (17), Boston Celtics (17), Chicago Bulls (six) and Golden State Warriors (six). All of those titles have come since 1999.

The Boston Celtics have reportedly made a move to acquire Derrick White ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. 

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Celtics are receiving White from the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Josh Richardson. 

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports added the Celtics, who are on a six-game winning streak, are also sending a first-round draft pick and Romeo Langford to San Antonio in the deal. 

Richardson was a popular name in trade rumors leading up to Thursday's 3 p.m. ET deadline. 

Per Brian Robb of MassLive, the Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves were among the teams with interest in Richardson. 

The Celtics acquired him from the Dallas Mavericks in the offseason. He opted into the final season of his previous deal and signed a one-year contract extension in August that paid him a total of $24 million through the 2022-23 season. 

San Antonio ranks 13th in the Western Conference with a 20-35 record. The organization appears to be planning for its long-term future. 

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported earlier in the day that the Spurs agreed to a deal with the Toronto Raptors: 

On Wednesday, the Spurs acquired Tomas Satoransky and a 2027 second-round draft pick in a three-team trade with the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers. 

Richardson and Langford will give head coach Gregg Popovich veteran role players he can use in the starting lineup or off the bench. They combined to average 14.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game this season. Richardson is shooting 39.7 percent from three-point range. 

White is a good reclamation project for the Celtics. The 27-year-old is averaging 14.4 points per game, but his 31.4 three-point percentage is a career low.

He's making a career-high 86.9 percent of his free-throw attempts, so there is reason to hope his shooting touch can turn around in a better environment where he doesn't have to be the focal point of the offense. 

Celtics head coach Ime Udoka appears to have figured things out with this team. The Celtics have won 13 of their past 17 games since falling to 18-21 after a Jan. 6 loss to the New York Knicks. 

Adding White to a lineup that already includes Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown gives the Celtics more offensive firepower as they chase a playoff spot and try to avoid the play-in tournament.    

The San Antonio Spurs may not be done dealing ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday the Spurs are acquiring Goran Dragic and a protected 2022 first-round pick from the Toronto Raptors, with Thad Young and Drew Eubanks among the pieces going out. Dragic is expected to be bought out, per Wojnarowski.

HoopHype's Michael Scotto has since reported San Antonio has discussed a swap with the Charlotte Hornets involving Jakob Poeltl and PJ Washington.

The Hornets have a glaring need for a center, with Scotto reporting Charlotte has also looked into a deal for Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner. There's little depth at the position behind Mason Plumlee.

Poeltl is averaging 13.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks through 45 appearances. The 7'1" Austrian is also great in the pick and roll, making him a nice fit alongside Hornets star LaMelo Ball in those situations.

The question for Charlotte is whether Poeltl is good enough to justify the kind of price tag Scotto reported. In addition to Washington, the Hornets would want 2021 first-round pick Kai Jones and a first-round selection.

Washington on his own is a fairly valuable asset. The 23-year-old is averaging 9.9 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 38.6 percent from the perimeter. While he's not a franchise cornerstone, he's good enough to slot nicely into a number of frontcourts across the league.

The Hornets would also be giving up on Jones after seeing him for just 46 minutes of action while sacrificing some of its draft flexibility down the road.

Charlotte is looking to end a five-year playoff drought, and at 28-28, it is only 3.5 games back of the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, which guarantees a first-round berth. Executing a win-now trade is understandable because the franchise is in a position to contend.

However, the Hornets would be betting a lot—perhaps too much—on the idea that Poeltl can meaningfully raise their postseason ceiling.

The San Antonio Spurs have reportedly acquired guard Goran Dragic in a deal with the Toronto Raptors ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN shared the full details of the deal:

Wojnarowski also reported the Spurs are expected to buy out Dragic, with the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks interested in signing him once he's a free agent.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports said the Mavericks are the "favorites" to land Dragic after his buyout. However, Marc Stein cautioned that the buyout "may not be immediate" and that the Mavericks "will face real competition to land" Dragic.

Dragic has appeared in just five games for the Raptors this season, averaging 8.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game before stepping away because of a personal matter. He spent the past six-plus seasons with the Miami Heat, but he was sent to Toronto along with Precious Achiuwa in the sign-and-trade for Kyle Lowry.

After initially indicating Toronto was not his "preferred destination," Dragic apologized to fans for his comments.

"It didn't come out the right way," he told Michael Grange of Sportsnet. "I know they love their team, and they should be proud, it is one of the best organizations in the NBA. They've already won a championship and I didn't, so what I said, it really was not appropriate."

Dragic now gets to move on and look for a fresh start with a likely playoff contender.

The 35-year-old has been an impact player throughout his NBA career, both as a starter and off the bench. He earned an All-Star selection in 2017-18 en route to averaging a team-high 17.3 points and 4.8 assists per game, one year after matching a personal best with 20.3 points per game.

In 2019-20, the guard was a key part of the Heat run to the NBA Finals while averaging 19.1 points across 17 postseason games.

Injuries slowed down Dragic in 2020-21, but he finished with averages of 13.4 points and 4.4 assists while shooting 37.3 percent from three-point range.

The Slovenian will now look to rebound while trying to help whichever squad he ultimately lands with finish the season on a high note. The Spurs are in the worst shape of any of the aforementioned landing spots, sitting 13th in the West with a 20-35 record.

Dragic brings 14 years of experience to go with his on-court ability as a perimeter scorer and facilitator, providing a significant offensive boost to his new team. A big finish to the season would also help him individually ahead of free agency in the offseason.

Young, who averaged 6.1 points in 26 appearances for the Spurs this season, figures to take on a reserve role in the Toronto frontcourt.

San Antonio Spurs center Jakob Poeltl has generated plenty of interest leading up to the Feb. 10 trade deadline. However, the Spurs aren't willing to part ways with the Austrian for cheap. 

San Antonio is looking for a first-round pick and a "quality player" in exchange for Poeltl, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. The Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls are among the teams interested in the veteran.

Stein first reported the Raptors' interest in Poeltl on Jan. 14, saying the franchise has "been looking for center upgrades for some time." 

Poeltl was drafted by the Raptors ninth overall in 2016. The franchise traded him to the Spurs as part of the Kawhi Leonard deal in 2018, and he has spent four of his six NBA seasons in San Antonio.

The 26-year-old is in the midst of his most productive season in the league, averaging 13.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 61.4 percent from the floor in 43 games for the 12th-place Spurs. 

Poeltl signed a three-year, $26.25 million extension with the Spurs during the 2020 offseason and is making $8.75 million this season. He is set to make $9.4 million during the 2022-23 campaign before becoming a free agent. 

Toronto's interest in Poeltl doesn't come as a surprise as the franchise could use an upgrade from Precious Achiuwa, Chris Boucher and Khem Birch. In addition, the Raptors are currently in a playoff spot with a 27-23 record (seventh in the Eastern Conference) and could use some more veteran experience.

As for the Bulls, Poeltl would likely serve as a backup to starting center Nikola Vucevic, so it's unclear if the franchise would be willing to give up a lot for him. However, Chicago could use the depth, as it is first in the East with a 32-19 record. 

The Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets are all in contention for that top spot. With things incredibly tight in the standings, it shouldn't be surprising that the Bulls are interested in adding some depth for the postseason. 

When it comes to coaching in the NBA Finals or an Olympic Games, Gregg Popovich says there's no question: an Olympics packs far more pressure. 

"I was more anxious and felt more pressure in that environment than I ever did in any Finals experience. ... It's your country that is watching, stakes are huge and you feel that responsibility," Popovich told reporters Thursday.

Popovich coached the United States men's basketball team from 2016 to 2021, culminating in a gold medal at the 2021 Summer Olympics.

The future Hall of Famer's tenure leading Team USA was far from smooth sailing. The U.S. finished a ghastly seventh in the 2019 World Cup, the worst-ever finish in international play, and lost their first game in Olympic play since 2004 in their Tokyo opener.

While Popovich was able to right the ship and bring home the fourth straight gold medal for the United States, he was quick to indicate he'd be one-and-done as an Olympics coach.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr was officially named as Popovich's successor in December. 

Teams have reportedly reached out to the San Antonio Spurs to check on the availability of guards Derrick White and Dejounte Murray ahead of the NBA trade deadline Feb. 10.

The Spurs (18-31) are struggling to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race, and ESPN's Zach Lowe reported Thursday on The Lowe Post podcast (via HoopsHype) that rival front offices are guaging whether they'll be sellers before the deadline.

"I've also heard ... that people are calling the Spurs and trying to see if they can get Derrick White or even Dejounte Murray," Lowe said (at the 42:57 mark).

San Antonio is one of the NBA's youngest teams with only two players—forwards Doug McDermott, 30, and Thaddeus Young, 33—over 27 years of age.

There have been plenty of growing pains in recent years as the Spurs transition to a new era after decades as a championship contender thanks to David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard.

They haven't advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs in four years and missed the postseason in each of the past two years, posting their first sub-.500 records since 1996-97.

Any hope that Gregg Popovich's squad would turn a corner this season has faded, as the team sits 2.5 games behind the 10th-seeded Portland Trail Blazers for the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament.

Popovich told Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News that the situation is "both challenging and satisfying" and joked about past success.

"Timmy got a little bit boring after a while," Popovich said. "You throw him the ball and he scores, come on. ... There is not a lot of coaching there."

The Spurs have not indicated whether they're willing to trade any of their core pieces before the deadline, but it's no surprise Murray and White have potential suitors. Here's how the guards have performed this season:

• Murray: 19.2 PPG, 9.1 APG, 8.4 RPG, 2.0 SPG in 44 games
• White: 14.2 PPG, 5.6 APG, 3.5 RPG, 1.1 SPG in 44 games

Murray is under contract through 2023-24, while White's deal runs through 2024-25.

The Spurs' deadline strategy likely depends on how quickly the front office believes it can return to a perennial playoff level. If that's the goal within the next year or two, San Antonio will want to keep the two key members of its backcourt.

A longer timeline could get the Spurs to listen on offers, more likely for White than Murray, especially with Tre Jones and Joshua Primo trying to earn bigger roles.

Multiple players are reportedly on the move Tuesday night with weeks remaining until the NBA trade deadline.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs agreed to a three-way trade. In the deal, the Celtics will receive center Bol Bol and guard PJ Dozier, while guard Bryn Forbes is headed to the Nuggets and forward Juancho Hernangomez will land with the Spurs.

ESPN's Tim Bontemps noted that this is a cost-cutting move for the Celtics that gets them nearly out of the luxury tax:

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported earlier Tuesday that Bol is set to undergo surgery on his foot that will keep him sidelined for 8-12 weeks. The Nuggets had attempted to deal Bol to the Detroit Pistons last week, but the trade was nullified when the Pistons "had an issue with Bol's physical," according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post.

In three NBA seasons, Bol has appeared in just 53 games, but it wasn't because of injuries. Denver chose to bring him along slowly after he underwent foot surgery in his freshman season at Oregon. While opportunities to crack the lineup were scarce with the Nuggets, Bol managed to average 15.6 points and 2.0 blocks per 36 minutes in his career.

Dozier is out for the year with a torn ACL and will be a free agent after this season.

The Nuggets are getting back a sharpshooter in Forbes, who averages 41.7 percent from three-point range. Forbes adds depth to Denver's backcourt as point guard Jamal Murray works his way back from a torn ACL.

Hernangomez has played in 18 games for Boston and averages 1.1 points, which is a career-low. The seventh-year forward should have more playing opportunities with the Spurs. Wojnarowski added that San Antonio also acquired Denver's 2028 second-round pick in the deal.

The Toronto Raptors are reportedly interested in acquiring San Antonio Spurs center Jakob Poeltl, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. 

Toronto selected Poeltl ninth overall in the 2016 draft and later traded him to the Spurs as part of the Kawhi Leonard deal in 2018. The 26-year-old has spent four of his six NBA seasons in San Antonio. 

"The Raptors' recent 11-4 surge propelled them into Eastern Conference playoff contention, and they have been looking for center upgrades for some time," Stein wrote in his newsletter. 

However, Stein mentioned the Raptors are in a tough spot with their luxury tax situation. Toronto is $268,420 below the luxury tax threshold and it's unclear if the franchise would be willing to exceed that number in a deal for Poeltl. 

Poeltl agreed to a three-year, $27 million extension with the Spurs during the 2020 offseason. He is making $8.75 million this season and is set to make $9.4 million during the 2022-23 campaign. 

The Austrian is in the midst of his most productive season in the NBA, averaging a career-high 12.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 59.7 percent from the field. 

Poeltl is San Antonio's top center, playing in a starting lineup that includes Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Keldon Johnson and Doug McDermott. Drew Eubanks and Jock Landale are behind him on the depth chart, and it's unclear if the Spurs would be comfortable elevating either player to a starting position. 

The Raptors, meanwhile, could definitely use an upgrade at the five. Precious Achiuwa, who is just 22 years old, is averaging 7.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. While those numbers aren't bad by any means, the team could use some more experience and the added depth. 

Behind Achiuwa, the Raptors are rolling with Khem Birch and Daniel Oturu. However, Birch continues to struggle with a nagging knee injury which has limited him throughout the season. 

Toronto is eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 20-18 record. At just 6.5 games behind the No. 1 Chicago Bulls, it's not surprising that the Raptors are ready to make a splash at the trade deadline.