In July 2015, Gregg Popovich committed to coaching the San Antonio Spurs during LaMarcus Aldridge's four-year, $80 million contract, a key factor in the Spurs' signing of the All-Star free agent.
We've now gone past the expiration of the agreement for two full seasons, and there's growing belief in the league circles that Popovich, after leading the U.S. gold medal this summer with only 26 wins shy passing nelson Sr. Nelson against the NBA's all-time winning record, at the end of the 2021-22 season, and finally being able to leave the San Antonio sideline.
Of course, there has always been the same degree of mysticism surrounding Popovich's longevity. His end date has long been considered open-ended.
In 2018, the Spurs introduced Demar DeRozan as the main force of Kohuai Leonard, with an eye on competitiveness. But San Antonio has missed the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, the only time in the team's history that it's been so dry.
To his credit, Popovich seems to have been rejuvenated by recent reconstruction efforts in San Antonio. He was described by league figures with ties to spurs as his team's current condition refreshed him.
Popovich, 72, continues his record as the oldest coach in NBA history every day, but will finally come to an epic end in his career.
The fact that Spurs officials and opponents have been whispering about his eventual retirement, when he retired and who will eventually replace him is noteworthy in itself.
"We always talk when we have a beer," said a former Tottenham staff member. "But no one knows."
"Even insiders don't necessarily know," the executive said.
However, as Bleacher Report did for this story, poll two dozen NBA personnel and you'll find a handful of people who, oddly enough, are sure they know which oft-often rumored candidates will fill Popovich's big foot. The League's gossip economy often produces false threads and feedback loops, but we have something to say about the few names that continue to echo around the San Antonio Echo Chamber.
WillHardy, a respected assistant coach for the Spurs, has just joined Yudoka's boston staff and has been considered a popular candidate for the job in recent years. Hardy is a young substitute who studied on popovich's right-hand side, similar to the way Jon Sherr replaced Mike Krzhshevsky at Duke University.
Tim Duncan is often mentioned, but few league figures with ties to San Antonio believe the Hall of Fame grand forward has any intention of pursuing a coaching career after his short assistant career.
More recently, after the championship guard rejoined the Spurs, Manu Ginobili's name surfaced to take on a vague role in basketball operations. "If there's one former player with basketball IQ and emotional intelligence to do that, it's Manu," said another senior executive who knows San Antonio.
However, there doesn't seem to be a direct plan for Ginobili to join the Spurs coaching staff full-time, and at this moment, few expect San Antonio to pick a popovich replacement with zero experience on the NBA bench. (Then again, Spurs disciple Sean Max chose Steve Nash to drive the Nets, which seemed perfect.) ）
A string of candidates is rotating, which could reflect the Spurs' actual lineup of candidates.
Who actually becomes Popovich's replacement may vary depending on the situation. If spurs choose a younger voice to match spurs' younger team, perhaps Popovich will accept some type of advisory role, just as any former Spurs welcome back to the team with open arms.
If San Antonio were to hire a first-time head coach like Hardy or Ginobili, many of the league observers contacted by B/R want spurs to hire a former head coach, such as Brett Brown, as the top assistant.
Brown's name is also often mentioned in the head coaching job. If player development is an integral part of the Spurs' cultural structure, then Brown is the needle used by the San Antonio Spurs.
Sources told B/R that since parting ways with Philadelphia in August 2020, he chose not to be interviewed for another head coaching position and has been reveling in being the father of a prominent basketball player in his sophomore year of high school.
Maybe Brown is waiting for the opening of San Antonio. Maybe he really enjoyed his free time with his family, moving back and forth from the Philadelphia area and his hometown of Maine.
According to several sources linked to Brown, uprooting his son could spell difficulties for any reunification of Brown with the Spurs, though if the coach has any local basketball courts outside of their current city, it's San Antonio.
Jacque Vaughn is another oft-cited candidates. Like Brown, Vaughn was an assistant coach for the Spurs and also played for three seasons with the Spurs.
He has managerial experience with the Orlando Magic and became the leading figure in any head coaching vacancy during his tenure as brooklyn assistant coach (Vaughn nearly made his New Orleans Pelicans debut this summer). As the Nets move deeper into the playoffs, his candidacy is expected to increase.
There have long been rumors that Bill Cerf is CEO RC Buford's preferred Popovich successor. "People with ties to Kansas are really important. It's a bit sacred," one executive said. "You talk about spur trees — spur trees that cross Kansas. You have to remember that this goes back to James Naismith, who really invented basketball. ”
However, Self's name seems to have been thrown behind this conversation. The head coach of the Jay Eagles recently signed a so-called lifetime contract with Kansas, and the possibility of becoming San Antonio's next head coach no longer seems great.
If the Spurs really had a college coach, Villanova's Jay Wright would be mentioned as a noteworthy name. "That clean, elegant demeanor," one executive said. "He has a connection to Team USA."
Becky Hamon may also get a fair chance. "She's been there; she's now the longest-serving assistant they've had outside of Chip [England]," said another former Tottenham staffer.
However, coalition officials and those with ties to the Spurs appear to have strong pessimism about Harmon's candidacy. "Just because she was the first female assistant on the bench doesn't mean she's the first manager. It's just that the responsibility is much greater, and very few assistants, both male and female, are really capable of getting to the first chair,"
An NBA coach told B/R. "She was inspired to be the first. This is a blessing and a curse. It's a tough situation. ”
From there, some left field names are usually mentioned. The Spurs have always liked Monty Williams, but the Spurs may need some form of draft compensation to pry him away from the Phoenix Suns.
Quinn Snyder seems to be deeply entrenched in the helms of the Utah Jazz, but he gained his first professional head coaching experience with Austin Toros in 2007–10.
Whoever ends up with the keys will be responsible for pushing the Spurs back into contention, and the San Antonio Spurs haven't made the second round of the playoffs since 2017.
For any team to want to re-enter the title race, it usually takes all- star talent, and the Spurs have yet to find the next organizational pillar after Leonard left.
Dejounte Murray did blossom. League executives are bullish on Kelden Johnson and Lonnie Walker, but the Spurs may find themselves at the bottom of the Western Conference this season, with a chance to pick the top five picks in the 2022 draft.
They can also trade a combination of young players for more mature stars. The Spurs have registered Ben Simmons' interest in trading, though the talk doesn't seem to have much appeal.
At the moment, all eyes are on Popovich and this year's young players. Will they fight for the playoffs, or will they go further into the basement of the Western Conference? Will this be the legendary coach's final year, or will he continue to lead spurs in San Antonio and beyond?