The San Antonio Spurs didn't make any major splashes in free agency, sticking to their usual steady and stable script as they typically do.
Chris Paul rumors came and went without much noise when free agency finally got underway, the former LA Clippers guard allowing for a sign-and-trade to make his way to the Houston Rockets. The Spurs remained unfazed by this, and likely never had any interest in rocking their boat.
Instead, arguably their biggest question mark heading into free agency was their future with future hall of famer Manu Ginobili. Ginobili was uncertain about his future as their playoff run came to an end, but it appears he's made up his mind about whether it's time to retire.
The Spurs and Ginobili are finalizing terms on a contract that will bring back their versatile point forward, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Just as he has in the past several summers, Ginobili seems to have taken a step back and decided he still has enough left in the tank to get back to work.
The soon-to-be 40-year-old swingman from Argentina continuing his career isn't necessarily surprising. The Spurs remain the perfect fit for him as a basketball player, a situation that will allow him to continue playing limited minutes as a key role player.
Ginobili averaged a career-low in minutes per game last season, playing just 18.7 minutes per game through 69 contests. It's no coincidence that he also averaged career-lows in points (7.5 per game) as well.
The Spurs don't need him to be the 16-20 points per game scorer he once was, though. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has been transitioning the team to be less-reliant on Ginobili for years, especially as Kawhi Leonard has grown into an MVP-caliber player.
How much Ginobili brings to the table at 40 will be the big question for San Antonio, but in all likelihood he'll play sparingly during the regular season. Where he really matters is in the playoffs, and that's what makes him coming back huge news for the Spurs.
San Antonio's postseason run was cut down after Tony Parker suffered a torn quadriceps tendon and Kawhi Leonard was forced out with a severe ankle injury. They still managed to upset the Houston Rockets in seven games, but were no match for the fully-healthy and stacked Golden State Warriors.
The Spurs will have Ginobili back in the gold as they look for retribution following a disappointing end to their season. His biggest opponent next season, though won't be an NBA team but Father Time.