Manu Ginobili will suit up for at least one more season, and possibly even two more. The veteran San Antonio Spurs guard will come back to play with Tim Duncan, LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard, he announced on Twitter.
Manu Ginobili will return to Spurs for at least 1 more season
The Spurs legend announced he’s coming back.
Ginobili's contract is a two-year deal with a player option worth $5.7 million, according to Shams Charania of RealGM, meaning the Spurs are using their room exception to bring the veteran back.
Ginobili returns despite rumors swirling at times that the 37-year-old would call it quits this summer with his contract expiring. The Spurs instead convinced the veteran to give it another go as the team transitions into a new era with Leonard and Aldridge.
Ginobili has settled into a smaller role with San Antonio over the past few years. Since 2011, he's averaged roughly 23 minutes per game. Going forward, it's likely he'll see even fewer minutes each night. Ginobili's numbers were down across the board in 2014-15, including his lowest points per game average since 2002-03, when he was a 25-year-old rookie. He was still useful, putting up 10.5 points on 43 percent shooting, four assists and three rebounds per game, but managing his minutes will continue to be important.
It was always going to be Spurs or retirement for Ginobili. The guard has been with the franchise for 13 years and never showed any interest in signing elsewhere. Now, San Antonio has its top guard off the bench back, as well as a core leader on a team that’s adjusting to an aging and changing roster. Even if he’s only good for 18-20 minutes a game, Ginobili’s ability to play both guard positions and hit shots is valuable.
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