Boris Diaw was on his way out of the NBA when he arrived in San Antonio, where the Spurs were trying to breathe new life into a core that had not won a championship in five years.
They proved to be a perfect match, and after playing a key role in the Spurs’ latest championship, Diaw found no reason to continue his career renaissance elsewhere.
Diaw tweeted Sunday night that he had agreed to terms on a new contract with the Spurs, and a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press that it’s a three-year deal worth $22 million. The person requested anonymity because the contract cannot be signed until the NBA’s moratorium ends Thursday.
“Hey spurs fans, Good news,” the French-born Diaw tweeted, “i stay in san antonio for a few more years. Lets win it again.”
For the 32-year-old Diaw, it was a chance to get one last big payday that he earned by providing some essential versatility on both ends of the court for the Spurs. He averaged 9.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists and shot over 52 percent in 25 minutes per game last season.
For the Spurs, it was the chance to keep together a team that posted the best record in the NBA last season and dominated the two-time defending champion Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. They have already learned this summer that Tim Duncan is returning next season and backup point guard Patty Mills will be back as well after a long rehabilitation of a shoulder injury.
The Spurs decided to give Diaw a hearty raise after watching him blossom in a system Gregg Popovich designed to keep the ball moving at all costs. But they also protected themselves by only partially guaranteeing the third year of the deal, which was first reported by Yahoo! Sports. He will be guaranteed $15.5 million over the first two seasons of the contract, a big boost from the $4.7 million he made last year.
Photo via Bob Donnan/USA Today Sports Images
