NBA Rumors: Tony Parker Could Join Cavaliers If Spurs Pass On Re-Signing Him This Summer, Per ‘HoopsHype’
Though most people expected him to retire after the 2017-18 NBA season, San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker revealed his plan to continue playing in the league for three more years. However, in an interview with RMC Sports last month, Parker, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, opens up the possibility that he could play for another team next season.
“It is not yet sure that I’ll stay with the Spurs. I am open to all proposals, I would like to have my entire career in San Antonio,” Parker said, as translated by News 4 San Antonio. “The sport is a business and we will have to make choices. I had 17 years with the Spurs, I would always be nostalgic but this is not the end of the world if I change my club. I figure two to three years more, if I go somewhere else, I’m 50-50. I do not see myself outside basketball yet I want to stay three more years to do the 20 seasons.”
Frank Urbina of HoopsHype suggested potential landing spots for Tony Parker in the upcoming offseason. If the Spurs pass on re-signing him, one of the intriguing free agency destinations for Parker is the Cleveland Cavaliers. A veteran point guard with lots of championship experience will be a great addition to the Cavaliers, especially if LeBron James decides to stay in Cleveland this summer.
Stephen Jackson says Tony Parker's comments on Kawhi Leonard's injury could cause him to leave Spurs https://t.co/JjMpYoLeUz pic.twitter.com/u5prH7xIV3
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) March 29, 2018
The NBA Finals 2018 clearly showed why the Cavaliers need a guy like Tony Parker to lead the bench. As of now, their backup point guard Jordan Clarkson has been a huge disappointment, and as Urbina noted, the Filipino-American guard even forgot to do what most floor generals are supposed to do which is passing. Before Game 2 of the NBA Finals, the last time Clarkson made an assist was in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals where the Cavaliers swept the Toronto Raptors.
Tony Parker may already be near the end of his career, but he could be more useful for the Cavaliers than Clarkson. Parker could also serve as the Cavaliers starting point guard in crucial situations since, like Clarkson, George Hill has been very inconsistent in the postseason.
However, with the Cavaliers already buried deep in the luxury tax hell, they could only offer Parker either the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.2 million) or the bi-annual exception ($3.3 million). Money isn’t expected to play a major role in Parker’s free agency, but as of now, it remains unknown if the Cavaliers have a real interest in adding the veteran point guard to their team. Expect more rumors to swirl around Parker as the 2018 NBA free agency approaches.
