Manu Ginobili talks contract status
The San Antonio Spurs have a couple of high priced contracts coming off their books this summer and one of them is the beloved Manu Ginobili. Ginobili's $14 million contract expires at the end of this season and whether or not he comes back has been a topic of conversation lately (hint: he's coming back). Ginobili sees himself playing another two years, but what kind of money he'd receive hasn't really come up until now. Manu was on the Jim Rome Show Monday and said that money wouldn't be the only factor in his return to San Antonio next year.
"So as long as I'm healthy and I keep playing the way I know how to play I think that's not going to be any problems and I'm not gonna be, it's not gonna be a matter of money only so I just wanna be here. The quality of life is very important for me and my family and I'm really happy here."
Ginobili was then asked about a home town discount and said he and the Spurs will talk about in July, adding that they really want him back and he really wants to be back. As I've written here before, the Spurs' summer starts with Manu. He's not going to re-sign for anything close to what he's making now and I'd even be a little surprised if his next contract is in the $10 million per year range.
Tim Duncan took roughly a 50 percent pay cut on the contract he signed last summer, so it's reasonable to assume the same thing will happen with Ginobili which would put him in the $7 million range (which sounds completely fair). The other part of the contract discussion that was good to hear was that Manu said he hadn't given his next contract much though and that he and the team agreed to wait till the summer to start their talks. It shows, unsurprisingly, that the focus is all on this season.
Manu would not demand big money, it's reasonable that he would take the half, which is $7 for 3 yrs with the final year player option. However, if the Spurs still can make it to the final this year, they should let Manu go for a true contender. He will be the final missing piece for any contenders.
There's no denying
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Even after all these years, I still find it hard to fully fathom how unbelievably lucky this city is to have such an incredible mixture of talented, high character, and team oriented players, representing San Antonio and the Spurs organization. Tony, Tim, and Manu are one of a kind stars in all of these above categories.
