The Spurs met with Aldridge Wednesday afternoon and reportedly impressed the 29-year old with their presentation. He almost averaged a double-double last season, putting up 13.9 points and 9.1 rebounds to go along with 2.0 blocks per game.
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Popovich and Tar Heels coach Roy Williams harped on him constantly to refine his game.
Duncan is coming off a season in which he earned third-team All-NBA honors and selection to the second-team All-Defensive team.
Tim Duncan confirms that he will return to the San Antonio Spurs next season for his 19th year in the National Basteball Association.
Popovich has indicated in the past that he would walk away once Duncan retired.
And the Spurs’ pursuit of free agent power forward LaMarcus Aldridge led some to believe that they would have to let Green leave for a big money deal with another team. At age 38 he shot 51 percent from the field and played in 77 games for a 55-win team. The only clue from the Duncan camp was a motion filed by attorneys in an ongoing case against a former financial advisor, asking for a trial next summer so “he won’t miss playing time”. I think Pops will go out with Duncan in the end, but Aldridge signing might cast some doubt into that decision-making process. The Spurs, although they have the better-looking team for next year compared to either the Knicks, Heat, or Mavericks, are not set up well for beyond 2016 with all of their aging players. “He was our most consistent player in the playoffs at 39”.
But he needs a lot more help and the Knicks have the ability to get it, with more than $25 million to spend. I feel badly that he didn’t get it, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. He’s not about bells and whistles, grunting and dancing, and doing commercials and all that kind of stuff. He just turned 38 but there really simply has been no slowing him down.
Exactly how much of a deal he gives San Antonio on his upcoming contract remains to be seen. The 18-year run is the longest active streak in the National Basteball Association.
Mozgov, who will turn 29 in mid-July, averaged a career-high 10.6 points and 6.9 rebounds in 45 regular-season starts.
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Mike Dunleavy Jr. returns to the Chicago Bulls, they agree on a three-year, $14.4 million deal. But that was before another Blazer season ended in disappointment and before there was talking of Aldridge being “distant” from his teammates during the first-round loss to Memphis, sometimes staying apart from them during timeout huddles.
