Report: Spurs will meet with Howard

Fresh off last week’s reported tryout of Tracy McGrady, the Spurs will look at another past-his-prime former standout to potentially flesh out their bench. Yahoo Sports’ Marc Spears that Josh Howard will be in town today for a meeting with the Spurs. Spears doesn’t say what the meeting will entail — tryout, contract negotiation, or merely a friendly lunch.

Like McGrady, Howard has seen better days. Now 32, he’s four years removed from his lone All-Star season in 2007-08, during which he averaged 19.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. It’s been a slow but steady decline since then, culminating with his departure from Utah after averaging 8.7 points in 43 games last season.

Free agency: What to expect from the Spurs

As you are standing around your computer today, Spurs fans, frantically refreshing Twitter and breathlessly awaiting news of what your favorite team is doing in the nascent stages of Free Agency 2012, here is a table you might find handy.

It is a look at the Spurs’ major free agency-related related moves since winning their most recent NBA championship in 2007:

Summer 2007: Sign Ime Udoka and Ian Mahinmi

2008: Sign Roger Mason Jr., re-sign Kurt Thomas.

2009: Trade for Richard Jefferson, sign Antonio McDyess and Keith Bogans

2010: Sign Tiago Splitter, re-sign Matt Bonner

2011: Sign T.J. Ford

When considering the question of how active the Spurs might or might not be in free agency, it is instructive to look back how they’ve spent previous summers.

With the exception of 2009, when the Spurs traded for Jefferson and signed McDyess, summertime for the Spurs has not been about making a marquee splash. It has been about cherry-picking value to fill a specific need, often late in the summer after the big names have already committed elsewhere.

That approach is by necessity. With a trio of All-Stars (see: Duncan, Parker, Ginobili) eating up cap space for the better part of a decade, the Spurs simply haven’t had room on the payroll to take on other high-dollar additions.

Even with free agent Tim Duncan set to perhaps take a 50-percent pay cut from the $21.2 million he was on the books for last season, this summer promises to be quiet as well. Last year’s salary cap was $57 million; before Duncan makes another cent, the Spurs are already on the hook for nearly $50 million in salaries for 2012-13.

Once Duncan signs, the Spurs are all but certain to be over the salary cap again, leaving them with only the mid-level exception, biannual exception and veteran minimum contracts with which to lure other free agents.

That’s not going to get you, say, Roy Hibbert. The Indiana All-Star center is poised to sign a maximum offer sheet with Portland. Or even Nicolas Batum, who could be looking at a $50 million pay day in Minnesota or elsewhere. Spurs fans pining for either player were dreaming anyway.

Expect a free agency period much like last December for the Spurs, when they looked into MLE-type wing players (Caron Butler and Josh Howard), before ultimately signing just one veteran free agent: backup point guard T.J. Ford, for the league minimum.

A reasonable expectation for the Spurs’ offseason is this: Re-sign Duncan to a deal that is substantially less than what he made last season, but still starts in the $10 million range; re-sign Danny Green and (perhaps) Patrick Mills; use the mid-level exception to re-sign Boris Diaw and perhaps bring Erazem Lorbek over from Spain or Nando de Colo from France.

As for outside free agents, expect the Spurs to bring in a veteran minimum guy or two as we get closer to training camp.

Expect the team that takes the court opening night in October to look almost identical to the one bounced from the Western Conference finals last month.

Of course, all of this is just a guess. But based on the Spurs’ past history and cap situation this summer, a reasonable one.

Spurs’ huge playoff experience advantage has paid dividends

The Spurs have looked much more confident than Utah in the first two games of the series, dominating play virtually throughout in both games.

In the first two games, the Spurs have trailed for only 4 minutes, 40 seconds and have not been behind past the first quarter in either of the games.

One of the biggest reason could be the Spurs’ experience advantage.

In terms of playoff games, the Spurs have played more than double the number of games than Utah with a 622-310 edge.

Here’s the difference in playoffs games between the two teams heading into Saturday’s game. Totals include appearances made in the first two games of the series.

San Antonio Spurs 

Tim Duncan                178        Spurs

Tony Parker               140        Spurs   

Manu Ginobili              124       Spurs

Stephen Jackson           60       Spurs, Pacers, Warriors, Spurs

Boris Diaw                       41       Suns, Bobcats, Spurs

Matt Bonner                   34       Spurs

DeJuan Blair                   16        Spurs

Gary Neal                         8        Spurs

Patty Mills                         7       Trail Blazers, Spurs

Danny Green                    6        Spurs

Tiago Splitter                    4       Spurs

James Anderson              2        Spurs

Kawhi Leonard                2        Spurs

Total                              622       Overall     

Total with Spurs          544

Utah Jazz

Raja Bell                        68          76ers, Mavericks,  Suns

Josh Howard                 64         Mavericks, Jazz

Paul Millsap                  46          Jazz

Jamaal Tinsley             39          Pacers, Jazz

Devin Harris                 39          Mavericks, Jazz

C.J. Miles                      23           Jazz

Al Jefferson                     9          Celtics, Jazz 

Earl Watson                    8           Grizzlies

 Blake Ahearn                 2           Jazz

Alec Burks                       2           Jazz

DeMarre Carroll             2           Jazz

Jeremy Evans                 2           Jazz

Derrick Favors                2           Jazz

Gordon Hayward            2           Jazz

Enes Kanter                     2           Jazz

Total                             310

Total with Jazz              91

LAYER GAMES TEAMS(S) PLAYER GAMES TEAM(S)

Anderson 2 Spurs Ahearn 2 —

Blair 16 Spurs Bell 68 76ers/Mavericks/Suns

Bonner 33 Spurs Burks 2 —

Diaw 41 Suns/Bobcats/Spurs Carroll 2 —

Duncan 178 Spurs Evans 2 —

Ginobili 124 Spurs Favors 2 —

Green 6 Spurs Harris 39 Mavericks

Jackson 60 Spurs/Pacers/Warriors/Bobcats Hayward 2 —

Leonard 2 Spurs Howard 64 Mavericks

Mills 7 Trail Blazers/Spurs Jefferson 9 Celtics

Neal 8 Spurs Kanter 2 —

Parker 140 Spurs Miles 24 Jazz

Splitter 4 Spurs Millsap 46 Jazz

Tinsley 39 Pacers

Watson 9 Grizzlies

Total 622 Total 311

Spurs Total 544 Jazz Total 91