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The San Antonio Spurs came to a crossroads when they were eliminated in the first round of the NBA Playoffs by the Los Angeles Clippers. They must decide what to do with the aging and depleted core that has made the franchise a dynasty for the last 16 years. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili are both set to become free agents this summer and neither have plans to retire. For the Spurs, do they give it one more year? Or is it time to head in a different direction?
On the top of the list is retaining Kawhi Leonard, who will become a restricted free agent. After that, San Antonio must find Duncan’s replacement. The rumors have been pointing to LaMarcus Aldridge as the next successor and he resembles Duncan in many ways. However, Aldridge has never done better than the second round in the postseason. That is why I would like to take this in a whole different direction.
More than likely, Duncan will return for one final season and play alongside his replacement. It would also come as no surprise if the future Hall-of-Famer consulted management on who the next great Spurs’ big man should be. So, why not throw Marc Gasol’s hat into the ring?
Early reports have both the Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks interested in Aldridge, while Gasol is believed to have strong feelings for the Memphis Grizzlies. Strong feelings mean nothing when it comes to business and success says it all. Duncan is a five-time champion and between him and Greg Popovich, it shouldn’t be too hard to convince Gasol to move a few states over.
Frankly, I like Gasol in San Antonio and with rumors flying that Tiago Splitter is on the trade block, signs are beginning to point to the big center in Memphis. Gasol has already been to the Western Conference Finals in his young career; playing alongside Duncan, and playing for Popovich would only speed up his trip to greatness. It might also finish off Duncan’s career with one more ring, David Robinson style!
Shane Phillips is a Miami Heat Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow Shane on Twitter @ShaneRantSports, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also email Shane at [email protected].
