Spurs on hold for the end of an era

Brace yourself, San Antonio. The following sentence is going to seem almost unthinkable.

At some point in the near future, the Spurs might waive Tim Duncan.

If that jaw-dropping transaction occurs, it won’t be anything personal. It will not be a slap to the face of the once-a-generation player most responsible for the franchise’s five championships.

On the contrary, it would be a gift.

It is no secret Duncan, the 40-year-old future Hall of Famer who has been the face of the Spurs for nearly half his life, is strongly leaning toward retirement. A Spurs staffer told the Express-News recently the team would be “surprised” if Duncan opts to return for a 20th NBA season.

Team officials are steeling for an announcement that could come at any time, in any manner. One gallows-humor joke going around the AT&T Center: Duncan is apt to resign via text message.

If Duncan does decide to walk away, waiving him would be one way for the Spurs to ensure he collects every penny of the $6.4 million due on his contract for next season. Depending on how the contract is structured, there could be a scenario that would absolve the Spurs of any financial responsibility if Duncan quit without being waived. But it is assumed the Spurs will find a way to get Duncan his money.

“It’s weird for me to even think about that possibility (of Duncan retiring),” said former Spurs guard Antonio Daniels, one of Duncan’s good friends who still resides here. “People don’t understand — everything changes when he walks away. Nothing is the same.”

More Information Spurs key dates Thursday: Free agents permitted to formally sign new contracts. Thursday: At Utah Summer League (6 p.m. vs. Boston, NBA TV) Friday-July 18: At Las Vegas Summer League (9:30 p.m. Saturday vs. Golden State; 9 p.m. Sunday vs. Portland; 7 p.m. Tuesday vs. Chicago)

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These are strange days indeed in San Antonio, where Duncan boasts nearly as much tenure as the Alamo. He is one of only three players in league history (joining Kobe Bryant and John Stockton) to spend 19 seasons with one team.

Yet Duncan, a two-time league MVP and three-time NBA Finals MVP, has been planning for his next stage for some time.

He has built an outlet for his post-playing days in the form of the Black Jack Speed Shop, the car customization business he opened a few years ago.

In addition, the contract Duncan signed last summer was constructed to offer him a bit of a going-away present.

With the Spurs in pursuit of LaMarcus Aldridge last July, Duncan gave the team carte blanche to pay him whatever made the salary cap math work.

Duncan took a cut from $10 million in 2014-15 to play last season at $5.25 million. As such, the Spurs won’t mind paying Duncan this year’s salary — $5.6 million, plus a $750, 000 bonus earned when the team won a franchise-record 67 games last season — even if he doesn’t play a minute.

“Tim has contributed to our success in many ways for so long,” general manager R.C. Buford said last July, on the occasion of Aldridge’s signing. “People continue to point that out, and it needs to be pointed out, the support and what he’s allowed us to do.”

Duncan’s decision will not affect the Spurs’ ability to sign free-agent forward Pau Gasol, who earlier this week agreed to a two-year, $30 million deal with the club.

Gasol is expected to formally autograph his deal after the league moratorium on new business ends Thursday.

Even if Duncan retires, his salary will count against the Spurs’ salary cap. If he chooses not to return, however, the Spurs may stretch the $6.4 million hit over three seasons to create space for other free agents this season.

If Duncan surprises and decides to play, the Spurs can massage their payroll to fit both he and Gasol.

Some close to Duncan suggest he has been wrestling with his decision. He loves the locker room, loves the game, loves to be in the gym.

Friends say he is aware how his life will change the moment he stops being an NBA player.

“You miss the competition, the camaraderie, the guys on the plane, the guys on the bus,” said Daniels, who attempted a comeback in the Development League after finishing his NBA career in 2011. “Playing (pickup games) at Lifetime Fitness doesn’t give you the same drive.”

Spurs staffers haven’t seen much of Duncan since the team’s playoff ouster against Oklahoma City in May, but that isn’t out of the ordinary.

Duncan typically makes himself scarce for a few months at the end of a season.

Likewise, Duncan has yet to ramp up his annual offseason training regimen. That, too, is not necessarily a signal — it is usually late July before Duncan gets back in the gym.

For now, team officials can only sit and await an announcement that will shake the franchise to its core.

They had better keep checking their text messages, just in case.

jmcdonald@express-news.net

Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN