San Antonio Spurs CEO R.C. Buford said the team is expecting head coach Gregg Popovich to return for the 2020-21 season.
Popovich has been rumored to be a top target for the Brooklyn Nets, who are hoping to fill their full-time head coaching position this offseason.
However, Buford believes Popovich is intent on his building on his vision for the current roster (via Jabari Young of CNBC):
Asked about the Popovich to New York rumors, where former Spurs executive and current Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks could be seeking his services, Buford said the Spurs are “under the assumption” Popovich is returning. The coach is also scheduled to coach the USA basketball men’s national team in next summer’s rescheduled Olympic games in Tokyo.
“I don’t know if he’s told Brian any differently,” Buford said. “Pop’s shown nothing other than how we’re going to build our team for next year.”
Buford also called Popvich the “North Star” for the franchise, indicating his stance on drafting and player development will remain in the organization even after he moves on to the next chapter (via Young):
But Buford added: “Pop’s vision will be in play long after his presence. That doesn’t mean it’ll be him in there making those decisions, but we’ve all learned together, and you’re not going to step away from a values-based, team-building aspect that focuses on culture and coming to work every day and working on it.”
“Pop” has only ever known one franchise, and he has had quite a bit of success in San Antonio.
The Spurs nearly climbed their way into the playoff race in Orlando, though they came up just short. However, Popovich might see the team's “bubble” performance as a building block for next season.
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