National Basketball Association

Did Tim Duncan's lawyers tip off a return to the Spurs?

Published Jun. 11, 2015 10:20 a.m. ET

foxsports

Tim Duncan appeared in federal court Wednesday because he’s suing an ex-financial adviser that the longtime San Antonio Stars power forward claims defrauded him.

According to KENS5, Duncan “said he wanted to be part of the process and to show the public that this could happen to anybody.”

But that’s not the most interesting part of the story. Guillermo Contreras of the San Antonio Express-News pointed out a request from Duncan’s lawyers:

While Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher previously reported that the Spurs are planning on Duncan and teammate Manu Ginobili returning to the team, no official news has been released.

San Antonio is entering a precarious situation this offseason, since Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green are due hefty contracts. However, the long-awaited salary-cap spike won’t happen until next year, so the Spurs must navigate a tight budget in order to re-sign all four players.

It seems logical Duncan (and Ginobili) makes his decision before free agency begins on July 1, because that would allow San Antonio to negotiate new contracts with Leonard and Green with a clear understanding of its cap room.

If Duncan returns for the 2015 campaign, it will be his 19th NBA season.

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