While all of Spurs Nation awaits the fate of two-thirds of the Big Three, the next-longest tenured Spur faces an uncertain offseason of his own.

Matt Bonner, with the Spurs longer than any player not named Tim, Tony or Manu, played only the final second of the team’s season-ending loss in Game 7 against the Clippers. He will become a free agent July 1, hoping there will be more seconds to play in silver and black.

“I hope to be back,” said Bonner, who has been with the Spurs since the 2006-07 season. “I love playing for the Spurs. I love everything about the organization and everybody in the organization — players, coaches, staff members. I hope they will all be back for next year.”

Encouraged that he was relatively injury-free, Bonner believes he still can be an effective contributor.

“I was pretty happy (with the 2014-15 season) for the most part because I stayed healthy,” said Bonner, who turned 35 on April 5. “I had that little calf tweak at the end of the year, but that’s not bad for someone my age. It was a pretty small thing.

“It’s been year by year for me most of my career. I still feel I can play in this league, and I’m pretty healthy and hopefully I can be back with the Spurs.”

At 6-foot-10, Bonner has lasted 11 seasons in the NBA as a “stretch” big man, able to spread the floor because of his 3-point shot-making ability. The NBA leader in 3-point accuracy in 2010-11 (105 for 230, 45.7 percent), his long-range accuracy slipped last season to a career low 36.5 percent.

He made only 2 of 10 3-pointers against the Clippers.

Nevertheless, Bonner expects to hear from other teams once the free-agent market opens. As he did last summer, he will tell all suitors to wait until he has learned the Spurs’ intentions.

“Even last year, when I became a free agent, I had other teams calling,” he said. “If you think back on last year, I didn’t sign with the Spurs for a few weeks. Other teams called. I was always honest and told them I was hoping to go back to the Spurs and wanted to hear from them before even considering another team.

“I try not to think about (playing for other teams). Regardless of anything, you’re still playing in the NBA and still playing basketball for your job. How bad can that be? I played a year in a low-level European league, so I know how lucky I’ve been to play in the NBA. But obviously, being in an organization like the Spurs is the top of that mountain.”

Ultimately, Bonner signed last summer to return to the Spurs for the 10-year veteran minimum salary at $1.45 million.

“I guess I’m not much of a businessman,” he said, “but if you’re playing in the NBA, you’re doing what you love. Even if you’re playing a limited role, you’re still playing basketball for your job.”

Aware that coach Gregg Popovich already has assured Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili he wants them to return, Bonner sees no reason Duncan, the 39-year-old captain, should not sign on for another season.

“I have no idea what (Duncan) wants to do,” he said. “But he seemed like he was really healthy all year. Nobody can answer how his body feels but him. He obviously played at a very high level all year.

“Hopefully, he will want to return. Same with Manu.”

mikemonroe

@express-news.net

Twitter: @Monroe_SA