When the free-agent bell tolls tonight at 11 San Antonio time, all eyes in the Alamo City will be on Tim Duncan — and rightfully so. The Spurs franchise icon is set to become a free agent for just the third time in his 15-year career.
Elsewhere below the radar, however, the Spurs’ starting shooting guard is also set to hit the market. Danny Green says he’s ready.
“This is my first time to be pursued,” Green, who is set to enter his fourth NBA season, told the Express-News on Saturday by phone from his home on Long Island.
“It’s an exciting time, and hopefully a fun time. I’m hoping there’s a good amount of teams who like what I can do.”
Green, who turned 25 on June 22, started 38 of 66 games for the Spurs and averaged 9.1 points while shooting a blazing 43.6 percent from 3-point range. Now, he is set to cash in.
The Spurs liked Green enough to extend a qualifying offer worth nearly $2.7 million, making him a restricted free agent and giving the team the right to match any offer he receives.
Even if Green hears only crickets in free agency, he is set to more than triple the $854,369 he made last season as one of the NBA’s biggest bargains.
Green was a force for the Spurs during the first two rounds of the playoffs, averaging 10.3 points against Utah and the Los Angeles Clippers.
He faded in the Western Conference finals against Oklahoma City, when he went 8 for 31 from the floor and was eventually replaced in the starting lineup by Manu Ginobili.
Though Green said he’s looking forward to wading into the free agency waters, he says he would like to return the Spurs.
“I really do like San Antonio,” Green said .”Hopefully, they have faith in me and will do what they need to do to bring me back.”