According to the San Antonio Express News, San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan will not opt of the final year of his contract.
As such, Duncan will play out the final year of his existing deal, during which he is scheduled to earn $21.2 million, and remains on track to become a free agent after the 2011-12 campaign.
The Express News states Duncan’s camp agreed to stand pat with the strong possibility of a lockout looming on Thursday. The intentions are for Duncan to play through the final year of his contract and then sign a new deal after the 11-12′ season. The report goes on to tell the team will not pursue an extension with Duncan before Thursday.
However, with no extension talk, and a lockout imminent, could a lockout season be the last for Duncan in a Spurs uniform? Highly doubtful.
Duncan restructured his contract once in the 07-08′ season. That move was made so the team could pursue another player with top-level talent either via trade or free agency. The move eventually was made with a trade for forward Richard Jefferson, who obviously has not panned out in his two seasons with the Spurs.
Three days before the 2011 NBA draft, numerous trade rumors were swirling around the league Jefferson was being shopped around in a package that included guard Tony Parker. The rumored package wasn’t being offered to get rid of Parker, but more so because he was the only tradeable asset the Spurs could lure a team with to take Jefferson’s contract.
With a new Collective Barganing Agreement still uncertain, the Spurs organization is still uncertain as to how much they will be able to spend salary wise in free agency in the off season.
