Tim Duncan hasn’t necessarily decided that he will come back for the 2016-17 season. But if he does, he will be playing for the San Antonio Spurs.
“San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan has elected to exercise the $5.6 million player option on his 2016-17 contract – but that is not an indication that he’s planning to return for his 20th NBA season,” per Adrian Wojnarowski, of The Vertical.
Wojnarowski added that “the Spurs are allowing Duncan to make a decision on his own timetable,” indicating that there’s no real deadline.
Duncan is one of the best players in NBA history. But he turned 40 in October and is obviously well past his prime. Still, Duncan’s numbers during the 2015-16 season (8.6 points, 7.3 rebounds per game) indicate that he can still be a valuable rotation player on one of the league’s best teams.
Two big questions linger.
One, is he willing to accept a continually diminished role with the team?
Two, will his body hold up?
We may not have those answers for a while. But we do know that the best player in Spurs history will ultimately conclude his career in San Antonio.