Boban Marjanovic may not end up being a member of the San Antonio Spurs for life, but it sure seems like he’ll stick with them beyond 2015-16.
The 7’3″ Serbian monster became an NBA novelty of sorts last season. He mostly played during garbage time but impressed fans and pundits with his offensive and defensive range. He swallowed shots at the rim. He scored off post-ups. He flashed a jumper. He made some passes.
It was glorious.
But Boban is also a restricted free agent this summer. The Spurs, assuming they tender him a qualifying offer, will have the right to match whatever overtures he receives, but they’re a team that’s built to contend now (and forever, really) and may not want to invest scores of cash in a seldom-used reserve.
Or maybe will they will do just that.
Per international basketball reporter David Pick:
Sources close to Boban Marjanovic believe he'll re-sign with the San Antonio Spurs.
— David Pick (@IAmDPick) June 8, 2016
Phew.
San Antonio dodged a bullet there.
Competing teams can only offer Boban a maximum salary of $5.6 million next season, per Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News, but they do have the option of backloading a deal that pays him a crap ton in Year 3, a la what the Houston Rockets did with Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik.
Still, the Spurs tend to keep the guys they want to keep. And Boban, who will only be an NBA sophomore next season, likely understands the value of growing with an organization that’s notorious for turning project prospects, like himself, into something much more.
On the flip side, let’s see if there’s a team out there ballsy enough to try and price Boban out of San Antonio during the latter year of his contract.
