Author: katadmin

Slideshow: NBA general managers with Spurs ties








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Seven NBA teams with general managers with ties directly to the Spurs:

Danny Ferry, Hawks: Played three seasons, 2000-03; director of basketball operations, 2003-05; VP of basketball operations, 2010-12

Kevin Pritchard, Pacers: Scout, 2001-03

Dell Demps, Hornets: Played one season, 1995-96; director of player personnel/VP, basketball operations, 2005-10

Sam Presti, Thunder: Basketball operations assistant, 2000-05; assistant GM/VP, basketball operations, 2005-07

Rob Hennigan, Magic: Basketball operations assistant, 2004-08

Lance Blanks, Suns: Director of scouting, 2000-05

Dennis Lindsey, Jazz: Assistant GM/VP, basketball operations, 2007-12

– Mike Monroe

The NBA’s wealthiest owners

Used cars have been very, very good to New Orleans Hornets owner Tom Benson.

That’s a big stake in the fortune that puts Benson, the business magnate with strong ties to San Antonio, on . Coming in at No. 360 with a net worth of $1.2 billion, he’s one of , including:

Paul Allen Portland, (20, $15 billion)

Rich DeVos, Orlando (67, $5.1 billion)

Micky Arison, Miami (68, $5 billion)

Stan Kroenke, Denver (92, $4 billion)

The Dolan family, New York (132, $3 billion)

Tom Gores, Detroit (192, $2.5 billion)

Mark Cuban, Dallas (206, $2.3 billion)

Herb Simon, Indiana (218, $2.2 billion)

Dan Gilbert, Cleveland; Donald Sterling, L.A. Clippers (t250, $1.9 billion)

Glen Taylor, Minnesota (285, $1.7 billion)

For reference’s sake, the net worth of Spurs owner Peter Holt is estimated at a paltry $80 million — barely tip money for this crowd.

Kelley, Witherspoon get camp invites

With training camp set to begin next week, the Spurs have added a couple more more warm bodies to the mix: 6-9 rookie forward Wesley Witherspoon and 6-0 veteran guard Tre Kelley.

Not to go all negative, but with the 15-man roster almost set for this season, they both have about as much chance of making the team as I do. That said, they might catch the team’s eye and earn an apprenticeship in Austin. Indeed, that’s where Kelley played in 2010-11, averaging 9.4 points and 3.4 assists in 11 games.

Among other spots, the former South Carolina standout also had a one-week stop with Miami in 2008 and a brief training camp stint with Memphis in 2010.

Witherspoon went undrafted after averaging 7.2 points and 3.7 rebounds last season at Memphis. It was his second straight season of regression after being pegged as a potential first-round pick following a breakout sophomore campaign (12.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 43 3-point %).

Weakside defensive rotation: .