Tim Duncan is 40-years old and has already won five rings, two MVP awards, and has been named an All-Star 15 times. That’s a pretty solid career and it might not be over yet.
According to The Vertical, Duncan elected to exercise the $5.6 million dollar player option for his 2016-2017 contract. While this indicates he’ll return for a 20th season with the Spurs, it doesn’t make it official.
Right now, reports indicate Duncan is contemplating and assessing his ability and desire to continue playing, but knows his body isn’t what it used to be. San Antonio is giving him time to make the decision, as expected seeing as Duncan is possibly the most popular and accomplished player in franchise history.
This is the closest Duncan has ever come to retiring and The Vertical also reported the decision may not come until early July with the start of free-agency.
Over his career, the 1997 1st Overall pick has averaged 19 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. However, this past 2015-2016 season he averaged a career low 8.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per contest. For the first 13 seasons of his career from 1997 to 2010, Duncan was averaging a double-double per game.
Duncan’s Spurs lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games during the Western Conference semifinals this past season. Speaking of the Thunder, the Spurs are one of six teams to reportedly have a meeting arranged with free agent Kevin Durant. ESPN reported both Duncan and Spurs’ Head Coach Greg Popovich are possibly heavily involved in luring Durant to San Antonio.
