NBA notebook: Spurs hire Duncan as assistant coach

[July 23, 2019]  Tim Duncan will return to the San Antonio Spurs as an assistant coach in 2019-20.

The team made the announcement Monday, also noting that Will Hardy joined head coach Gregg Popovich's coaching staff. Duncan, 43, played 19 seasons with the Spurs and won five NBA championships playing for Popovich from 1997-2016.

"It is only fitting, that after I served loyally for 19 years as Tim Duncan's assistant, that he returns the favor," Popovich joked.

A 15-time All-Star and two-time Most Valuable Player, Duncan is the Spurs' all-time leader in games (1,392), points (26,496), rebounds (15,091) and blocked shots (3,020).

--The Washington Wizards are expected to offer All-Star guard Bradley Beal a three-year, $111 million extension this week, although there are no indications he will accept immediately, ESPN reported.

Beal, 26, still has two years and $55.8 million remaining on his current contract. He will be able to receive an extension offer on Friday and then would have until Oct. 21 to sign it. Beal's agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN that careful consideration would be given to any extension offer.

Beal scored a career-best 25.6 points per game with 5.5 assists last season. In seven seasons with the Wizards, the former No. 3 overall selection in the 2012 draft has averaged 19.8 points and 3.7 assists. He was an All-Star in each of the past two seasons.

--Wizards owner Ted Leonsis made official the leadership structure of Monumental Basketball, the newly formed umbrella organization for the Wizards, Washington Mystics of the WNBA, Capital City Go-Go and Wizards District Gaming.

The group made it official that Tommy Sheppard will serve as general manager of the Wizards, while announcing that Sashi Brown will be the chief planning and operations officer for Monumental Basketball, and Daniel Medina will have the title of chief of athlete care and performance.

Sheppard will lead strategy, analytics, player personnel, scouting and coaching for the Wizards, the Go-Go of the G-League and District Gaming. Additionally, the organization hired former Georgetown and Princeton coach John Thompson III to head the newly formed athlete development and engagement department.

--Kostas Antetokounmpo was awarded to the Los Angeles Lakers on a waiver claim.

Spurs forward Tim Duncan attends a media session for their NBA Finals basketball series against Miami Heat in San Antonio, Texas June 6, 2014. REUTERS/Mike Stone/File Photo

The younger brother of NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks spent much of last season in the NBA G League. He was waived by the Dallas Mavericks.

The 21-year-old Antetokounmpo, signed to a two-way contract by Dallas, appeared in two games last season with the Mavericks and another 40 games (25 starts) with the Texas Legends of the G League. He averaged 10.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 25.4 minutes with the Legends.

--Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris became the latest player to withdraw from the Team USA roster for the upcoming World Cup in China.

Harris, the sixth player to pull out, said he wanted to focus on preparing for the 2019-20 season, according to published reports. Harris signed a five-year, $180 million deal with the 76ers earlier this month.

Washington shooting guard Bradley Beal withdrew earlier Monday, citing the upcoming birth of a son. Previously exiting were Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, James Harden and Eric Gordon of the Houston Rockets and CJ McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers.

--Zion Williamson withdrew from the Team USA Select Team, closing the door on any chance he had of being promoted to the departure-ravaged main roster.

No reason for Williamson's exit was given by The Athletic, the entity that first reported the withdrawal. The Athletic cited managing director Jerry Colangelo as its source.

Williamson, the No. 1 overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans, was one of 10 "select" up-and-coming players chosen to participate in the Team USA training camp, which begins Aug. 5 in Las Vegas.

--Field Level Media

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