The NBA free agency rumors continue to thrive and the latest team eliminated is also looking for options.
The San Antonio Spurs, one of the preseason favorites to challenge the Golden State Warriors for the championship. They were not able to set up the hotly anticipated Spurs-Warriors match-up as the OKC Thunder crashed their party.
As the Thunder won (or for some fans, "stole") Game 5 in San Antonio, the Thunder wasted no time to seize the golden opportunity to close out at home.
Speaking of not wasting time, the Spurs did not become the best managed team in American pro sports without quick preparation. As their season ends, ESPN Insider had their experts discuss the Spurs plans.
One of the moves that they are projected to make is to improve their point guard rotation. Tony Parker is no spring chicken at 34 and he can't run with the rest of the West's point guards (which are the best in the league: Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Damian Lillard) 35 minutes a game.
This was already being anticipated but Cory Joseph decided to go back home to Canada. Patty Mills was the third guard pushed forward to main back-up and even starter for some games.
Amin Elhassan mentioned: "Backcourt help has to be high on the to-do list. Both Tony Parker and Ginobili have shown the effects of aging, and it's tough to watch Cory Joseph during these playoffs and not kind of wish he was still a Spur."
To that end, both David Thorpe and Kevin Pelton floated the name of Mike Conley, the Memphis Grizzlies guard who is now a free agent. Thorpe called him "the perfect Spur" as he is a no-nonsense, efficient player. However, Pelton doubts if the Spurs could actually get him.
Last week, ESPN analyst Jalen Rose teased in the Jalen and Jacoby podcast that Jeff Teague, All-Star point guard of the Atlanta Hawks could end up with the San Antonio Spurs. Rose was one of those who predicted (correctly) that LaMarcus Aldridge would leave Portland to join the Spurs.
Teague is still under contract, though and the Spurs have to acquire him in a trade.