Timberwolves Free Agency: San Antonio Spurs Edition

As we reach the teams eliminated in the conference finals in our quest to find future Timberwolves, we arrive at the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs reached the Western Conference Finals in 2016-17, but were uncharacteristically swept by the mighty, eventual-champion Golden State Warriors.

San Antonio looks much different than they did just a couple of years ago, of course. Kawhi Leonard is the clear-cut best player, and LaMarcus Aldridge as his second-fiddle. Aging Tony Parker still has a year left on what will likely be his final contract, and Danny Green will be around for at least one more season as well.

There are no unrestricted free agents on the Spurs roster, of course, although the intriguing story that is Jonathon Simmons will be a free agent of the restricted variety. Additionally, veteran big men Pau Gasol and David Lee hold player options for 2017-18.

Let’s take a glance at each of the aforementioned players.

Jonathon Simmons

Simmons has only played two NBA seasons but will be 28-years-old by the time that the season starts this fall. His path to Gregg Popovich’s Spurs was…winding, to say the least.

He was undrafted out of the University of Houston, and after averaging 36.5 points per game in the short-lived American Basketball League, visited an open tryout for the Spurs’ D-League team in Austin.

Simmons made the team and began playing for the Austin Spurs in 2013. Over 98 games in two seasons (plus four games in 2015-16), Simmons averaged 12.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 34.5 percent from beyond the arc.

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He also appeared in 55 games with the San Antonio Spurs in 2015-16, averaging 14.8 minutes per contest. Simmons shot 38.3 percent from long-range and was a solid defender, leading to a full season with the big club this past season.

Simmons played in 78 games in 2016-17, starting eight, and was a key member of the Spurs rotation. He continued his strong defensive play but was a largely ineffective member of the offense, shooting just 29.4 percent from beyond the arc and not doing much else.

He remains a valuable defender and a potential three-and-D candidate if he can improve his perimeter shot. It’s hard to pinpoint what he’ll be paid in restricted free agency this summer, but it’s a good bet that the Spurs would like to hang on to him. At the same time, it’s tough to see Minnesota having much interest.

David Lee

Lee, who just turned 34 years of age, continued to be a strong contributor to the rotation of an NBA playoff team in 2016-17.

After bouncing from Boston to Dallas the previous season, Lee joined Popovich’s rotation in San Antonio. He played in 79 games, averaging 18.7 minutes per contest, largely off the bench.

Lee is still a fairly solid defender, and while limited, defends his position well enough to be a plus-player. On offense, even more of his shot attempts came from around the rim this past season than they had previously, as the mid-range jump shots were fewer and further between.

Lee will not command a lot of money on the free agent market this summer, but will be able to choose which playoff contender he wants to join. The Wolves don’t necessarily need a backup big man (Nemanja Bjelica and Gorgui Dieng, while very different players, profile well as backups), he’d be a name to keep an eye on depending on how the market develops.

This is all a big if, of course. Lee could simply not invoke his player option — possible, since he’s only owed $2.3 million next year — and choose to remain with the perennially-contending Spurs.

Pau Gasol

Gasol is in a similar situation as Lee, albeit with a lot more money at stake. The veteran big man is owed just over $16 million next year, unless he activates his player option.

At 37 years old this fall, Gasol could try and hit the market once more to get another one-plus-one or possibly even two-year deal. With the league cap where it’s at now, it’s certainly feasible.

While Gasol was very good overall, he was clearly a step slower on defense. The Spurs defense was exposed in the paint at times when unable to contain on the perimeter, and while Gasol is still solid when switching on the perimeter, well, he’s also 37 years old.

Timberwolves fans will remember that Tom Thibodeau tried desperately to convince Gasol to take even more money than he received in San Antonio to join his former coach (and Spanish national teammate and buddy Ricky Rubio) in Minnesota. If Gasol happens to opt-out this summer, expect Thibodeau to be hot on his trail once again.

From a basketball perspective, Gasol’s experience and still-effective scoring and rebounding abilities would shore up the Wolves’ front court. He’d likely start next to Karl-Anthony Towns, allowing Dieng to come off the bench and back up both front court spots, but the roles could be reversed, as well.

Next: Timberwolves Roundup: Rumors, Rumors, Rumors

It wouldn’t shock me to see Gasol opt-out, and it would be expected that Thibodeau and the Timberwolves would pursue. But there would still need to be a lot that falls into place before something like this were to happen.