With the impending arrival of generational big man Victor Wembanyama, Gregg Popovich may be finding his second (or perhaps more accurately, his tenth) wind.
Longtime San Antonio Spurs insider LJ Ellis of SpursTalk reported this week that the Spurs front office is preparing as if their longtime head coach Popovich will return for at least one more season. Ellis adds that Popovich, “if and when” he decides to return, is expected to sign a three-year deal that would be worth roughly $14 million per year. The new deal would also allow Popovich to opt out after either of the first two seasons.
The 74-year-old Popovich has coached San Antonio since 1996, leading them to five NBA titles over that span. He is the longest-tenured head coach in the league by more than a decade and already became the NBA’s all-time winningest coach two seasons ago (now with 1,364 victories and counting).
Popovich has been approaching his future on a year-by-year basis for awhile now. He was markedly less successful with the Spurs this season (his 27th in charge), going 22-60 (.268). But with San Antonio winning the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, their fortunes are likely to swing dramatically once the 19-year-old French superstar Wembanyama comes aboard.
Wembanyama is already set to be mentored by an iconic Spurs legend once he touches down in the NBA. Now it sounds like Popovich will also be sticking around for a little bit to help Wembanyama find his footing.
