The San Antonio Spurs have had a huge offseason, as they signed what many people thought was the biggest prize of this free agency period in LaMarcus Aldridge. On Monday afternoon, Spurs fans got even more great news when Manu Ginobili announced on Twitter that he will return to the Spurs for at least one more season.
Happy to announce that I'm coming back next season. #gospursgo #TDwouldvemissedmetoomuch.
— Manu Ginobili (@manuginobili) July 6, 2015
Ginobili will be entering his 14th season in the NBA and is 38 years old. Although he is coming off a down year, Ginobili is still a key piece to this Spurs team especially since their bench will be a bit depleted. Marco Belinelli signed with the Sacramento Kings and Cory Joseph signed with the Toronto Raptors this offseason, so it was imperative for the Spurs to have Ginobili return.
Last season, Ginobili averaged 10.5 points per game, his lowest scoring output since his rookie season. His shooting percentages were also down in 2014-15, as he shot 43 percent from the field and 35 percent from beyond the arc.
The Spurs might have the best starting five in the NBA with Tony Parker, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Aldridge, and Tim Duncan, but as the Los Angeles Clippers showed last season, you need depth to make a deep run in the playoffs. Ginobili will lead a bench that also includes a healthy Patty Mills, Boris Diaw, and Kyle Anderson as of right now.
The Spurs certainly still have more work to do to fill out their roster, but getting Ginobili to commit for another season was their main focus after signing Aldridge, according to RealGM.com.
Ginobili had previously said that his decision would be affected by whether Duncan decided to return for his 19th season, according to ESPN. Duncan announced last week that he would be back and now Ginobili has followed suit. The pair will look to add to the four championship rings they already have.
