Tag: the NBA

Durant says players are determined not to give in during lockout

It’s hard to imagine an NBA star with a brighter future than Kevin Durant.

The former University of Texas standout is coming off a banner season after leading the league in scoring in each of his last two seasons and taking his team to the Western Conference Finals last year. He turns 23 in September.  

And Oklahoma City’s player representative has fired off the about the NBA Player Association’s determination to stick together during the lockout.

“We’re going to stand up for what we have to do, no matter how long it’s going to take,” Durant told The Associated Press. “No matter how long the lockout’s going to take, we’re going to stand up. We’re not going to give in.”

These are bold words on July 1, particularly because we haven’t heard much from any of the league’s other superstars.

But let’s set how determined that Durant might be in November when the game checks aren’t being paid.

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.

Source: Duncan will not opt out

By Jeff McDonald
jmcdonald@express-news.net

Tim Duncan is not expected to opt out of the final year of his contract, and the Spurs don’t plan to offer him an extension before the collective bargaining agreement expires Thursday, according to a source familiar with talks between the team and the franchise icon.

As such, Duncan will play out the final year of his existing deal, during which he is scheduled to earn $21.2 million, and remains on track to become a free agent after the 2011-12 campaign.

Duncan also faces a Thursday deadline to exercise an early-termination option. His apparent decision not to do so is not surprising in light of the league’s unsure labor climate.

With a contentious fight broiling between the NBA’s owners and players’ union this summer, and with so much uncertainty still surrounding the next CBA, Duncan has apparently determined it is in his best interest to stand pat on what, at age 35, is likely to be his last high-dollar payday.

Should Duncan choose to continue playing after next season, the Spurs would prefer to re-sign him under the new set of salary rules, which are generally expected to be more favorable to small-market clubs.

There had been some speculation Duncan might decide to trigger his early-termination option and renegotiate his contract, in a manner that might give the Spurs payroll flexibility to better fortify their roster next season.

Duncan took a similar approach in signing a four-year extension before the 2007-08 season, accepting less than maximum money and leaving the Spurs room to eventually add Richard Jefferson in the summer of 2009.

A 13-time All-Star, two-time league MVP and three-time Finals MVP, Duncan logged career lows last season in scoring (13.4 points per game), rebounding (8.9 per game) and minutes (28.4 per game).

Though more of a statistical bit player than he was in his prime, Duncan in his 14th NBA season remained the central figure for the Spurs, both on the court and in the locker room.

He’s not going to look like rookie Tim Duncan,” coach Gregg Popovich said in an interview conducted during the season. “Nobody is going to look like they did 14 years ago. He’s still so steady. He’s still our rock out there.”