Tag: Andy Miller

Stay or go? McDyess’ status still unclear

In a little more than 24 hours, the Spurs will hit the floor for their first training camp practice of the lockout-shortened season.

Whether 37-year-old center/forward Antonio McDyess intends to join them remains a mystery, even at this late date.

“I wish I had an answer for you, but I don’t,” said Andy Miller, McDyess’ agent.

McDyess has long said he intended to retire instead of playing a 16th NBA season, appearing more adamant about that decision as last season wore on.

The three-year free-agent deal he signed with the Spurs in the summer of 2009 included a nice retirement gift: $2.64 million guaranteed for 2011-12, even if he decided not to play.

The Spurs have until today to either waive McDyess,and cut him a check for that $2.64 million, or guarantee the full value of the contract ($5.22 million). McDyess’ contract is set up in such a manner as to make him an enticing trade piece to teams in search of salary cap relief, especially if he intends to retire now.

That could be one reason for the ambiguity.

Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said McDyess’ status for the start of camp is “unclear.”  At the end of last season, Spurs officials seemed hopeful they could convince McDyess — a Gregg Popovich favorite — to return to play spot minutes in a short season.

For now, signs seem to point to McDyess not opening camp with the Spurs on Friday.

McDyess, who has averaged 5.6 points and 5.7 rebounds in 150 games with the Spurs, has not been back to San Antonio since the lockout rules were loosened last week.

He has kept a low profile at his offseason home in Houston, either wrestling with his retirement decision or waiting out the trade market.

“I’m his agent and his friend,” Miller said. “The one thing I’m not is his therapist. I’m going to give him my opinion, but then he’s got to make the decision that’s in his best interest.”

Should McDyess decide he needs to attend Spurs training camp, he could get to San Antonio at almost a moment’s notice, his agent notes.

“It’s only a three-hour drive,” Miller said.

With the minutes counting down until the start of camp, McDyess has yet to decide if he wants to make that  drive.

McDyess delaying retirement party

Antonio McDyess’ career with the Spurs isn’t over just yet.

The Spurs and the veteran power forward/center have agreed to extend the guaranteed-salary deadline on McDyess’ contract for the 2011-12 season.

McDyess’ deal called for him to be paid $5.2 million next season unless the Spurs waived him by midnight EST on Thursday. With the NBA owners officially calling for a lockout of the players, beginning at 12:01 a.m. EST today, the agreement allows the Spurs to wait for the league and its players union to hammer out a new agreement before they are forced to waive a player they still believe can help their team if he wants to continue playing.

McDyess has indicated on numerous occasions that he intends to retire but has not filed formal retirement papers. Were the lockout to shorten the season to 50 or 60 games, there is some thought inside the Spurs basketball operations department that McDyess might be persuaded to continue playing.

Even if the Spurs decide to release the 36-year-old veteran of 14 seasons, a portion of McDyess’ deal is guaranteed.

The Spurs now have until the first day of the next player free-agency period, whenever that may be, to decide whether to waive McDyess before his final season is fully guaranteed.

McDyess and his agent, Andy Miller, agreed to the extension on Thursday.

McDyess joined the Spurs for the 2009-10 season, playing in 150 games over the past two seasons, starting 66. In 73 games last season, he averaged 5.3 points and 5.4 rebounds.