NBA Rumors: San Antonio Spurs Adding More Depth With Kevin Martin

NBA rumors are stating that Kevin Martin is close to finalizing his buyout agreement with the Minnesota Timberwolves. According to ESPN, he is most likely going to be signing with the San Antonio Spurs, so that he can join Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Tim Duncan in overcoming Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors to become the new National Basketball Association champions.

The San Antonio Spurs are sitting on a 49-9 record, and they’re doing it quietly. That’s just the way that Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich prefers it. He’s a low-key guy, and it helps that the Golden State Warriors are the talk of the NBA. A lot of people are under the assumption that Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are going to repeat as champions, but Popovich feels that he can beat them, which is why he wants to add Kevin Martin to the roster.

If the San Antonio Spurs sign Kevin Martin, then the former Western Carolina Catamounts star will be joining their talented and disciplined bench. Danny Green is currently the Spurs starting shooting guard, and Gregg Popovich likes having his versatility in the starting lineup. It allows San Antonio to continue the chemistry and continuity of the starters. Plus, Martin can be a great scorer on certain nights, so Popovich might prefer to have that weapon against the second units in the NBA.

Kevin Martin will spend a good amount of time playing alongside San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard. Gregg Popovich is a genius when it comes to playing to his players’ strengths. Martin isn’t the best defender in the NBA. Fortunately for him, Leonard is arguably the best defender in the league. Popovich can use Leonard to protect Martin by having Kawhi defend the better-scoring wing players.

Aside from bringing more firepower to the bench, Kevin Martin also provides the San Antonio Spurs with some insurance. The other shooting guard on the depth chart is Manu Ginobili, who has been missing in action since having testicular surgery. The Spurs aren’t entirely sure when Ginobili is going to be making his return to the court. They no longer need to rush that return because Martin can capably provide minutes at the same position.

Since Manu Ginobili, Kevin Martin, and Dennis Green all deserve to be on the court, their minutes are going to spill over from the shooting guard spot. Kawhi Leonard is going to get his minutes, so Kyle Anderson will either play less or play at a different position. Fortunately for the San Antonio Spurs, Anderson is pretty versatile. He can be paired against smaller power forwards or even be used in the back court because of his ability to handle the ball.

The addition of Kevin Martin might also affect the minutes being distributed at the point guard position. Gregg Popovich is always going to give minutes to Tony Parker. Patty Mills is a trusted reserve, who has been receiving good playing time as of late. However, don’t be surprised to see Popovich giving some of those minutes to Manu Ginobili when he returns to action before the NBA Playoffs.

At the end of the day, Kevin Martin, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the San Antonio Spurs are getting what they each wanted. The Timberwolves save some money and clear out some minutes for younger players. The Spurs add another weapon to their bench unit. Martin gets to finally contend for an NBA title.

[Featured Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images]