The San Antonio Spurs reached a two-year agreement with Manu Ginobili, according to the veteran's twitter. With Ginobili locked for the next two years and Tony Parker still under contract, what are the chances of Tim Duncan returning to make another championship run?
Ginobili, 35, became a free agent on July 1. During the NBA Finals, the Argentinian sounded unsure whether he'd play next season. On Wednesday, he tweeted his decision.
While his play has declined (11.8 points and 23.2 minutes per game), the veteran can offer a lot to the locker room and provide the occasional spark off the bench.
The next question is Duncan. The 37-year-old is due to make $10,361,446 next season, and he has a player option for the 2014-15 season. Although retirement is always a possibility, Duncan indicated he plans to play next season, according to Sports Illustrated.
"I have a contract that says I am [coming back]," Duncan told reporters on June 21.
Asked point-blank if he planned to retire next season, Duncan answered: "Not right now."
Duncan's comments came days after losing to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. While there's no doubt he can still play (17.8 points and 9.9 rebounds per game), it's possible his answer of "not right now" could change over the summer.
Coming within a game of his fifth NBA title, along with the fact that the Spurs team will be nearly identical, should be enough to bring Duncan back for his 17th season and outweigh any allure of hanging his hat on a Hall of Fame career.
