Written by Paul Garcia. Originally posted at ProjectSpurs.com.
The Spurs Sports & Entertainment announced Monday that the NBA D-League Austin Spurs have reached a contract extension with current Head Coach Ken McDonald. Per club policy, details of the contract weren’t announced.
McDonald will be coaching his third straight season in Austin, where he has a coaching record of 51-49 in the past two seasons. Last season, according to the Spurs’ press release, McDonald coached the team to a first-place finish in the Southwest Division, with a 32-18 record.
Keeping McDonald in charge of the Austin Spurs continues continuity in terms of the principles and terminology that carry over from the Austin Spurs, to the NBA San Antonio Spurs. From former Spurs like Cory Joseph, Nando De Colo and Aron Baynes, to current Spurs Kyle Anderson and newly signed Jonathon Simmons, the Spurs often send young players who don’t play a lot during the regular season, to Austin, for more on-court play and development.
Simmons in particular, had never even played in the NBA, but over his last two seasons in Austin, he’s shown rapid growth in the Spurs’ system, that he was offered a fully guaranteed deal in the first year of his new contract, before he even set foot in the Las Vegas Summer League, where he ended up winning the championship game MVP.
This year at training camp, each NBA team will be allowed to put up to four players that are cut from their NBA roster in October, on their D-League affiliate team, if those players agree to a D-League contract. This will likely be the case for center Youssou Ndoye, who is expected to be on the Spurs’ training camp roster, and should he be waived, he would likely sign a D-League deal to play in Austin and be coached by McDonald next season.
