Spurs' Gregg Popovich Becomes 1st Person to Coach 2,000 Games with 1 Team
Jan 6, 2022
BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 05: Head coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on January 5, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich became the first coach in NBA history to lead the same team for 2,000 games Wednesday, per the Associated Press (h/t Sportsnet).
Popovich's Spurs beat the host Boston Celtics 99-97 behind 22 points from Dejounte Murray.
Popovich has gone 1,325-675 in 26 seasons leading the Spurs, who have won five NBA Finals and six Western Conference titles during his tenure. San Antonio made the playoffs 22 straight years under Popovich from 1997-98 to 2018-19.
Per Basketball Reference, Popovich moved into sixth alone with his 2,000 career games coached.
Lenny Wilkens has coached the most games in NBA history with 2,487. He led six teams during his career, most notably winning the 1979 NBA Finals with the Seattle SuperSonics.
Popovich needs 11 more wins to surpass Don Nelson for the most victories by an NBA head coach all-time.
Spurs' Becky Hammon Reportedly Being Pursued by WNBA's Liberty, Aces for HC Jobs
Dec 26, 2021
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 11: Assistant Coach Becky Hammon of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the game against the Denver Nuggets on December 11, 2021 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photos by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
San Antonio Spurs assistant Becky Hammon is reportedly being pursued by the WNBA's New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces for their head coaching positions, per The Athletic's Chantel Jennings and Shams Charania.
Hammon has mutual interest in taking a position, and if she chooses to accept an offer, it will likely be announced before the WNBA’s January free agency opens, The Athletic adds.
Hammon played 16 seasons in the WNBA from 1999-2014, beginning her career with the Liberty before playing her final eight seasons with the San Antonio Stars. She is a six-time WNBA All-Star and two-time All-WNBA first-team member.
The 44-year-old has since served as an assistant on Gregg Popovich's staff in San Antonio.
In 2015, she became the first female to serve as head coach in the NBA Summer League, leading the summer squad to a championship. Then in Dec. 2020, she became the first woman to act as head coach of an NBA team when Popovich was ejected in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Hammon has also interviewed for several NBA head coaching positions over the last several years, meeting with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2018, before interviewing with the Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic this past offseason.
The Liberty are in need of a head coach after parting ways with Walt Hopkins on Dec. 6. Hopkins spent two seasons with the franchise, leading the team to a disappointing 2-20 record in 2020 and a 12-20 finish in 2021.
The Aces aren't in need of a head coach as Bill Laimbeer, who has coached in the WNBA since 2002, has been behind the bench since 2018, leading the team to the WNBA Finals in 2020.
However, if Hammon were to accept the Aces' head coaching job, Laimbeer "would step aside and potentially fill a different organizational role," per The Athletic.
The Aces finished the 2021 season with a 24-8 record, second in the WNBA, while the Liberty finished eighth with a 12-20 record.
NBA Trade Rumors: Latest on Suns' Jalen Smith, Spurs' Bryn Forbes and Jazz Targets
Dec 13, 2021
PHOENIX, AZ - DECEMBER 10: Jalen Smith #10 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics on December 10, 2021 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
The early part of the 2021-22 NBA season has been quiet in terms of trades and player movement. But things have started to heat up in recent days.
In his latest news and notes roundup Monday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on some rumors floating around the league.
Let's take a look at a few of them.
Phoenix Suns C Jalen Smith
PHOENIX, AZ - DECEMBER 10: Grant Williams #12 of the Boston Celtics boxes out Mikal Bridges #25 of the Phoenix Suns and Jalen Smith #10 of the Phoenix Suns during the game on December 10, 2021 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)
Phoenix Suns second-year big man Jalen Smith has not seen much playing time during his young career. He's played in just eight games this season and has averaged 3.4 points in 7.1 minutes.
Charania reported that the Suns are receiving interest for the 21-year-old Maryland product, and teams are expecting a move to be made soon.
"Despite declining his third-year option, the Suns have had interest generate in talks to move center Jalen Smith, sources said," Charania wrote. "But interested teams expect a potential move for Smith as the Dec. 15 date—when most offseason signings can be traded—nears."
Phoenix is 21-4 and is hoping to contend for a second straight appearance in the NBA Finals. Smith is still very raw, and it seems like the Suns don't have time to wait for him to develop, making him expendable.
Smith's youth and athleticism could make him intriguing to teams that are rebuilding. He could also be used as part of a larger deal for Phoenix to reel in a bigger star.
Smith hasn't had the opportunity to display the skills that made him the 10th overall pick in the 2020 draft. A team that trades for him would be acquiring an unknown commodity and hoping he lives up to his potential.
San Antonio Spurs G Bryn Forbes
San Antonio Spurs' Bryn Forbes walks up the court during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, in San Antonio. New York won 121-109. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Sixth-year combo guard Bryn Forbes is in his second run with the San Antonio Spurs, but it could be a short stint.
Charania reported that Forbes, who played for the Milwaukee Bucks last season after spending the first four years of his career in San Antonio, is "expected to procure interest from contending teams throughout the league."
Forbes shot 45.2 percent from beyond the arc and averaged 10.0 points last season. He was a key contributor during Milwaukee's run to an NBA title.
The 28-year-old is playing on an expiring contract worth $4.5 million. Forbes' ability to stretch the floor and his championship pedigree make him an attractive player to teams hoping to contend this year.
Forbes has not started a game this season and has averaged 7.2 points in 14.3 minutes while shooting 42.5 percent from three-point range over 25 games. An increased role on a contending team could help him return to the form that saw him average 10 or more points in each of the last three seasons.
Utah Jazz Targets
Donovan Mitchell (derecha) festeja con el francés Rudy Gobert, su compañero en el Jazz de Utah, durante el encuentro del jueves 9 de diciembre de 2021, ante los 76ers de Filadelfia (AP Foto/Chris Szagola)
At 19-7, the Utah Jazz are among the top contenders in the Western Conference. But the team is looking up at offensive juggernauts in the Phoenix Suns (21-4) and Golden State Warriors (21-5), so Utah is looking for help on defense.
"The Jazz are pursuing a defensive-minded wing on the trade market, sources said," Charania stated.
The Jazz are already one of the best defensive teams in the league, ranking fourth with opponents averaging 104.2 points against them.
With three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert as the team's anchor down low, adding a defensive specialist on the wing could set up the Jazz for the playoff success that has eluded them in recent seasons.
Utah has a deep team with five players who score in double figures, led by Donovan Mitchell's 24.8 points per game.
Ben Simmons Rumors: 76ers Star Would 'Welcome' Playing for Gregg Popovich, Spurs
Dec 10, 2021
Philadelphia 76ers' Ben Simmons plays during Game 7 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, Sunday, June 20, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons, who has requested a trade, would reportedly welcome playing for the San Antonio Spurs and head coach Gregg Popovich.
Longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein mentioned that note Friday on Substack (h/t RealGM Wiretap).
"I've heard that Ben Simmons would welcome the opportunity to play for Popovich if the Spurs found a way to acquire him," Stein wrote.
The 25-year-old Simmons has averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game over his four NBA seasons. He's a three-time All-Star and two-time NBA All-Defensive Team member.
The 9-15 Spurs have struggled in the early going, although they have won five of their last seven games after a 4-13 start.
They are a better team than their record shows, with the Spurs notably sitting 15th out of 30 NBA teams in net rating and sporting an expected win-loss mark of 12-12, per Basketball-Reference.
Adding Simmons could certainly help the Spurs as they look to overcome their bad start and make the playoffs in a top-heavy conference for which only five teams are above .500.
However, the question is whether the Spurs could come up with a trade offer appealing enough to president of basketball operations Daryl Morey.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski previously reported in July that Morey was looking for a "James Harden-esque" deal. Stein reported that Morey is looking for a package headlined by a player in the "Damian Lillard/Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tier."
In other words, Morey doesn't appear willing to trade Simmons for anything less than a monster haul right now.
That's an issue for the Spurs. They have one budding star player in point guard Dejounte Murray and some intriguing young talent around him. Unless San Antonio wants to trade Murray plus some other pieces, a Simmons deal would not work.
The Spurs may be better off rolling with what they have and hoping their recent turnaround foreshadows a better back half of the season.
As for Simmons, he's sat the entire season. He initially held out for much of the preseason before returning right before the NBA campaign started.
A practice spat led to a one-game suspension, and he has since told the 76ers that he is not mentally ready to play, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic in October.
Without Simmons, the 76ers have gone just 14-12, although they have missed superstar center Joel Embiid for 10 games and second-leading scorer Tobias Harris for nine more.
Popovich on Spurs' Players-Only Meeting: 'Just Dandy...Hope They Had a Good Talk'
Nov 23, 2021
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 14: San Antonio Spurs Gregg Popovich during the San Antonio Spurs vs Los Angeles Lakers game on November 14, 2021, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich didn't have much to say regarding his team's players-only meeting following a 115-90 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last Thursday.
"Well, that's just dandy," Popovich told reporters when asked about the gathering. "I hope they had a good talk."
Clearing the air in a locker room can be beneficial, but players-only meetings don't always accomplish their goals. In the case of the Spurs, their closed-door conference may not have changed much.
San Antonio fell 115-111 to the Phoenix Suns on Monday to drop its fifth straight game. At 4-12, Popovich's squad is 13th in the Western Conference and 3.5 games out of the final play-in spot.
For 22 straight seasons, the Spurs were a playoff team. Now, they're finding out what life is like when you can't pivot from one foundational star to another in David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard.
Coming into the season, Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey ranked the five-time champions 25th in the NBA. The franchise hasn't fully committed to a rebuild, yet it has assembled a roster with a firm ceiling—San Antonio had nearly identical records in 2019-20 (32-39) and 2020-21 (33-39).
There's only so much a players-only meeting can do to help the Spurs on the court.
Anthony Davis Drops 34 in Lakers' Win vs. Spurs as LeBron James Continues to Sit
Nov 14, 2021
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 14: Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks the ball during the first half of a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center on November 14, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
The LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers bounced back from a disappointing loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves with an 114-106 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday at the Staples Center.
The Lakers improved to 8-6 on the season with the win, while the Spurs dropped to 4-9. Sunday's game was L.A.'s sixth consecutive contest without James, who suffered an abdominal injury in a Nov. 2 win over the Houston Rockets.
Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis continue to be significant factors for the Purple and Gold with James sidelined. However, Wayne Ellingtonand Malik Monkalso stepped up against the Spurs.
Anthony Davis Powers Lakers, But Wayne Ellington, Malik Monk Impressive Off Bench
No James, no problem for Davis, who had one of his best games of the season for the Lakers on Sunday afternoon.
The 28-year-old was particularly impressive in the first half, finishing with 27 points on 12-of-16 shooting. He also had six dunks, five rebounds, seven assists and one steal before halftime to help the Lakers take a 60-55 lead to the locker room.
However, Davis was less effective in the second half as Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Talen Horton-Tucker stepped up. He tallied seven points, eight rebounds and six assists in the second half while his supporting cast did much of the heavy lifting.
Westbrook finished the second half with eight points, seven rebounds and two assists, while Anthony and Tucker combined for 21 points.
It was a much better performance from Anthony, who finished Friday's game against the Timberwolves with just three points, five rebounds and one assist in 23 minutes.
With James sidelined, it's important Anthony plays well and contributes on offense. The Lakers signed the veteran to provide depth off the bench, and he's been solid so far this year.
Anthony entered Sunday's game averaging 16.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and one assist per game while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 46.6 percent from deep.
Ellington was also a big reason why the Lakers defeated the Spurs. The 33-year-old veteran finished with 15 points, two rebounds and two assists on 10-of-15 shooting off the bench. It was his best game of the season for L.A., and it was nice to see him step up with James sidelined.
In addition to Ellington, Monk was also solid off the bench for the Lakers, finishing with 16 points, two rebounds and four assists on 8-of-14 shooting. The duo was much more impressive in the second half to help power the Lakers past San Antonio.
Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson's Efforts Not Enough
Murray and Johnson are a big reason why the Spurs remained in contention throughout Sunday's game against the Lakers.
Murray finished the first half with 15 points, six rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block, while Johnson finished with 16 points, three rebounds and one assist.
The duo continued to pace the Spurs in the second half, combining for 15 points. However, it was not enough as San Antonio struggled to get production out of two other starters -- Drew Eubanks and Doug McDermott.
Eubanks finished the game with two points, five rebounds and five assists, while McDermott finished with just eight points, two rebounds and one assist. It was a difficult night for both players, and arguably their worst game of the season.
McDermott is typically a starter, but Eubanks started in place of Jakob Poeltl, who missed Sunday's game for conditioning reasons. Poeltl has been a big presence for San Antonio this year, averaging 13.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, so missing him for any period of time isn't great.
If San Antonio is going to find any success this season, it will have to get more production out of every player not named Murray and Johnson. Thaddeus Young (17 points, nine rebounds, two assists) and Devin Vassell (19 points, seven rebounds, one assist) played solid on Sunday, but not having them in the starting lineup killed the Spurs.
What's Next?
The Lakers will host the Chicago Bulls on Monday, while the Spurs will be back in action Tuesday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook Lead Lakers Past Spurs Without LeBron James
Oct 27, 2021
SAN ANTONIO, TX - OCTOBER 26: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket against the San Antonio Spurs on October 26, 2021 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photos by Darren Carroll/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers didn't need LeBron James to earn a 125-121 overtime win over the San Antonio Spurs.
James was unavailable because of an ankle injury, but Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis picked up the slack with a combined 68 points in Tuesday's road game at the AT&T Center.
San Antonio led by 12 after the third quarter, but the Lakers stormed back with a 29-17 advantage in the fourth quarter.
Malik Monk came up big to put Los Angeles in front in the final minute:
It was enough to pull away for the team's second straight win to move to 2-2.
Dejounte Murray led the way for the Spurs with a triple-double, while Jakob Poeltl set a career high with 27 points, but it wasn't enough to prevent them from falling to 1-3 on the year.
Notable Performances
Anthony Davis, PF, LAL: 35 points, 17 rebounds, 4 blocks
Russell Westbrook, PG, LAL: 33 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists
The nine-time All-Star has had a slow start to the season but looked the part Tuesday. Westbrook was aggressive offensively while scoring a season-high 33 points, and he contributed in a lot of ways:
The Spurs finished the game with 29 fast-break points.
This is a team that doesn't scare most teams on paper, but it already has four different leading scorers in four games with several more players who can go off at any time.
What's Next?
The Lakers are back in action Wednesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Spurs will go on the road on Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks.
Whispers Growing Louder About Gregg Popovich's Inevitable Successor
Oct 8, 2021
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, center, talks to his players during a timeout in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, March 25, 2021, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
In July 2015, Gregg Popovich's commitment to coaching the San Antonio Spurs throughout the length of LaMarcus Aldridge's four-year, $80 million contract was a key ingredient to San Antonio signing the All-Star free agent.
We're now two full seasons beyond that deal's expiration, and there's a growing belief in league circles that Popovich, after leading Team USA to a gold medal this summer and just 26 victories shy of passing Don Nelson for the NBA's all-time wins record, could finally walk away from San Antonio's sideline following the 2021-22 campaign.
Of course, there's always been an equal level of mysticism surrounding Popovich's longevity. His end date has long been considered open-ended.
In 2018, the Spurs brought in DeMar DeRozan as the main haul for Kawhi Leonard with an eye toward competitiveness. But San Antonio has landed outside the playoffs for two straight seasons, the only such drought in franchise history.
Popovich, to his credit, has seemingly been reinvigorated by San Antonio's recent rebuilding stretch. He's been described by league figures with Spurs ties as refreshed by his team's current situation.
At 72, Popovich extends his record as the oldest coach in NBA history every day, but there will eventually be a coda to this epic career.
The fact that Spurs officials and rival team personnel persistently whisper about his eventual retirement, when it will arrive, and who will ultimately replace him, is noteworthy in itself.
"Over beers, we always talk," one former Spurs staffer said. "But nobody knows."
"Nobody necessarily even internally knows," the executive said.
Yet poll two dozen NBA personnel, as Bleacher Report did for this story, and you'll find a handful who, curiously, are positive they know which often-rumored candidate will fill Popovich's big shoes. The league's gossip economy can often produce false trails and feedback loops, but there's something to be said about the same few names continuing to reverberate around the San Antonio echo chamber.
Will Hardy, the respected Spurs assistant who just joined Ime Udoka's staff in Boston, has been considered a favorite for the job in recent years. Hardy is a young understudy who learned at Popovich's right hand, similar to how Jon Scheyer rose to replace Mike Krzyzewski at Duke.
Tim Duncan is frequently mentioned, yet few league figures connected to San Antonio believe the Hall of Fame power forward has any intention of pursuing a coaching career, following his brief stint as an assistant.
Recently, Manu Ginobili's name has surfaced after the champion guard rejoined the Spurs in a nebulous basketball operations role. "If there's a former player who has the basketball IQ and the EQ to do it, it's Manu," another veteran executive with knowledge of San Antonio said.
Yet it would seem there are no direct plans for Ginobili to join the Spurs' coaching staff full time, and few, at this juncture, expect San Antonio to choose a Popovich replacement with zero experience on an NBA bench. (Then again, Spurs disciple Sean Marks picked Steve Nash to pilot the Nets, and that has seemingly worked to perfection.)
That a string of candidates is making the rounds may be a reflection of the Spurs' actual bundle of candidates.
Who actually becomes Popovich's replacement could prove to be situational. If the Spurs choose a younger voice to match San Antonio's younger group, perhaps Popovich would be open to some type of an advisory role, just as any former Spur has been welcomed back to the franchise with open arms. If San Antonio were to hire a first-time head coach, such as Hardy or Ginobili, many league observers B/R contacted would expect the Spurs to hire a former head coach, such as Brett Brown, to serve as a chief assistant.
Brown's name is often mentioned for the head coaching job as well. If player development is an integral part of the Spurs' cultural fabric, Brown was the needle that San Antonio used for those stitches. He has chosen not to interview for another head coaching post since parting ways with Philadelphia in August 2020, sources told B/R, and has revelled in being a father to a sophomore high school basketball standout.
Perhaps Brown is waiting for an opening in San Antonio. Or perhaps he's truly enjoying the downtime with family, shifting back and forth from the Philly area and his hometown roots in Maine. Uprooting his son could pose a difficulty for any Brown reunification with the Spurs, according to several sources with connections to Brown, although if there's any local hoops scene the coach is familiar with outside of their current city, it is San Antonio.
Brett Brown
Jacque Vaughn is another often-mentioned candidate. Like Brown, Vaughn cut his teeth as a Spurs assistant, while also having played three seasons with the franchise. He boasts head coaching experience with the Orlando Magic and has emerged as a leading name for any head coaching vacancy during his time as an assistant coach with Brooklyn (Vaughn nearly took the New Orleans Pelicans' opening this summer). His candidacy is expected to grow as the Nets wade deeper into the playoffs.
Bill Self was long rumored as lead executive R.C. Buford's preferred Popovich successor. "The person having Kansas ties would be really important. It's kind of sacred," one executive said. "You talk about the Spurs tree—the Spurs tree goes through Kansas. You gotta keep in mind, that goes all the way back to James Naismith, who literally invented the game of basketball."
Self's name, though, has seemingly drifted to the back of this conversation. The Jayhawks' head coach recently signed what's been described as a lifetime contract with Kansas and no longer appears a strong possibility to become San Antonio's next play-caller. If the Spurs did go with a college coach, Villanova's Jay Wright was mentioned as a name to keep an eye on. "That type of clean-cut, polished demeanor," one executive said. "He has Team USA ties."
Becky Hammon will likely receive her fair chance as well. "She's been there; she's now the longest-tenured assistant they've had there outside of Chip [Engelland]," another former Spurs staffer said.
There does seem to be a strong amount of pessimism, however, among league officials and those with Spurs connections pertaining to Hammon's candidacy. "Just because she's the first female assistant on the front of the bench doesn't mean she's the first head coach. There's just a lot more responsibility, and very few assistants, male or female, are truly capable of moving over to the first chair," one NBA coaching figure told B/R. "She got pumped up for being the first. It's a blessing and a curse. It's a difficult situation to be in."
From there, a few left-field names are typically mentioned. The Spurs have always been fond of Monty Williams, yet it would likely require some type of draft-pick compensation for San Antonio to pry him away from the Phoenix Suns. Quin Snyder is seemingly entrenched at the helm of the Utah Jazz, but he got his first professional head coaching experience with the Austin Toros from 2007-10.
Whoever is ultimately handed the keys will be tasked with boosting this Spurs' crop back toward contention, and San Antonio hasn't reached the second round of the playoffs since 2017. For any franchise to rebound into the title race, it typically requires All-Star talent, and the Spurs have yet to find their next organizational pillar since Leonard's departure.
Dejounte Murray has indeed blossomed. League executives are bullish on both Keldon Johnson and Lonnie Walker, yet the Spurs could feasibly find themselves as one of the bottom teams in the Western Conference this season, with a chance at a top-five pick in the 2022 draft. They could also trade a combination of young players for a more established star. The Spurs have registered Ben Simmons trade interest, although there has not appeared to be significant traction in those conversations.
For now, all eyes remain trained onto Popovich and this year's crop of young players. Will they contend for the postseason or drift further into the Western Conference cellar? Will this be the fabled coach's final year or will he continue to lead the Spurs in San Antonio and beyond?
Jake Fischer covers the NBA for Bleacher Report and is the author of Built to Lose: How the NBA's Tanking Era Changed the League Forever.
NBA Trade Rumors: Thaddeus Young Already Drawing Interest from Contenders
Sep 29, 2021
San Antonio Spurs' Thaddeus Young takes part in the team's NBA basketball Media Day, Monday, Sept. 27, 2021, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
NBA championship contenders reportedly
have "already inquired" about whether the San Antonio Spurs are
looking to flip veteran forward Thaddeus Young, who was acquired as
part of an August trade that sent DeMar DeRozan to the Chicago Bulls.
ESPN's Zach Lowe reported the news
Wednesday while describing Young as an "obvious trade candidate."
The 33-year-old Georgia Tech product is
coming off a strong offensive season with the Bulls.
Young averaged 12.1 points, 6.2
rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 55.9 percent from the field
across 68 appearances (23 starts) during the 2020-21 campaign.
While most the advanced models agree it
was an efficient season for him on offense, some disagree about his
impact at the defensive end.
FiveThirtyEight's Raptor rated Young as
a positive defensive contributor (+1.4), but ESPN's Real Plus-Minus
graded him negatively (-2.0), which dropped his overall ranking among
qualified power forwards to 48th.
In turn, it's hard to know exactly what
the Spurs could command in return for the 2007 first-round pick, who
could also provide intangible value to San Antonio as a leader in a
mostly young locker room.
Young explained Tuesday on the Gimme
the Hot Sauce podcast (h/t KENS' Jeff Garcia) he enjoys being the
"glue guy" and has already talked with new teammate Keldon
Johnson about his willingness to defer offensively.
"I want to make your job easier. I
am not coming here to take your spot or to take anybody else's spot," Young said about his conversation with Johnson. "I'm coming here to
help. I'm coming here to make sure we all are putting in work
together so we can win games."
The Spurs reached the play-in
tournament last season with a 33-39 record, and they have enough
high-upside players in Johnson, Dejounte Murray, Derrick White,
Lonnie Walker IV, Devin Vassell and Jakob Poeltl to think the team
could take a step forward in 2021-22.
So San Antonio will probably wait
closer to the trade deadline to decide whether Young, who can become
an unrestricted free agent at season's end, should land on the trade
block despite contenders' active interest.
The Spurs are scheduled to begin the
regular season Oct. 20 when they host the Orlando Magic.
Report: Spurs' Gregg Popovich Believed by Some to Be Open to Coaching in 2022-23
Sep 29, 2021
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich talks to his players during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat in San Antonio, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
The 2021-22 season reportedly may not be the swan song for Gregg Popovich as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.
According to ESPN's Zach Lowe, multiple sources close to Popovich said it "would not surprise them" if he returned to coach in 2022-23.
The 72-year-old Popovich, fresh off leading Team USA to a gold medal at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, is set to enter his 26th season as head coach of the Spurs.
Regardless of when he decides to retire, Pop is already among the most decorated and accomplished head coaches in NBA history with five championships and three NBA Coach of the Year awards to his credit.
Popovich has coached 1,963 career regular-season games and owns a record of 1,310-653, which equates to an astounding .667 winning percentage.
He is already seventh on the NBA's all-time list in regular-season games coached, and he will get to fourth by the end of the season.
Popovich is also third all-time in regular-season wins behind only Don Nelson and Lennie Wilkens, and he will move into first place with just 26 more victories.
On top of that, Popovich is second in NBA history in playoff games coached (284) behind only Phil Jackson and third in playoff games won (170) behind Jackson and Pat Riley.
Arguably, the most impressive achievement of Popovich's career is the fact that he took the Spurs to the playoffs in 22 straight seasons from 1997-98 through 2018-19, making it past the first round on 16 occasions.
He also got the most out of many star players over the years, including David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard.
Recent years have been a bit of a struggle for Popovich and the Spurs, however, as they have missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons and haven't made it out of the first round since 2016-17.
Following the offseason departures of DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills and Rudy Gay, getting back in playoff contention during the upcoming season could be a huge challenge.
If Popovich can develop younger players such as Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker IV and Keldon Johnson, however, the Spurs have a chance to be a surprise team in 2021-22, and it could compel Popovich to continue coaching.
