Danny Green feels at home with revamped Spurs

MANILA, Philippines – The NBA is currently in an era where there is a premium on 3-point shooting and perimeter defense, making players who have the ability to do both at a high level hot commodities around the league.

One of those “3-and-D” guys is San Antonio Spurs starting forward Danny Green, who was due for a big payday this NBA offseason as he was an unrestricted free agent.

The 6-foot-6, 28-year-old standout had an impressive 2014-2015 NBA season with averages of 11.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks a game while making a career-high 191 3-pointers and remaining one of the high-echelon wing defenders in the NBA.

But despite the chance of making more money elsewhere or opting for a change of scenery, the 6-year NBA pro decided to stay in San Antonio. 

“It’s home for me,” Green told the media about his free agency decision on Thursday, August 27, at the Marriott Hotel. Along with the Golden State Warriors dance crew, the Philadelphia 76ers mascot Franklin, and Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried, Green is currently in Manila for the 2015 NBA 3X festivities.

“I thought we had a pretty good chance of doing something special again in the future and I talked to Pop…he and [Spurs general manager] R.C. [Buford] did a great job of communicating with me throughout the process, and letting me know, keeping me updated with what’s going on,” recalled the former North Carolina Tar Heel.

San Antonio was a busy franchise this offseason. Besides re-signing Green, Buford gave 2014 NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard a 5-year, $90 million extension, won the LaMarcus Aldridge sweepstakes, and signed veteran big man David West to a minimum contract.

Other 3-and-D guys like Green wound up getting higher paydays: Khris Middleton signed a 5-year, $70 million deal with the Bucks, DeMarre Carroll received a 4-year, $60 million contract from Atlanta, and Wesley Matthews (coming off an Achilles’ tendon injury) picked up a 4-year, $70 million deal from the Dallas Mavericks.

“I thought we had a good shot at getting LaMarcus, and we did, luckily. It made my decision look a lot smarter. It’s home for me. It was an easy decision,” said Green, who’s shot 42.3% from downtown as a Spur in the regular season and 42.9% in the playoffs.

(READ: Danny Green: Becky Hammon is capable of becoming a head coach)

Green, who is fourth overall in San Antonio’s franchise history for made 3-pointers, also added:

“The fans there, gotta love them. It was hard for me to leave. It was an easy decision for me when they said they’d come close. They came close. I said I would come back.

“I know that the grass is green where I’m at. I don’t know how green it is on the other side, but I know it’s pretty green where I’m at.”

Looking to the future

With the core of Green, Aldridge, and Leonard, San Antonio figures to make noise in the competitive Western Conference for the years to come despite the advancing age of Tony Parker and West, and the impending retirement of Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.

From being just a second-round draft pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009, to playing for 3 teams in the NBA D-League, to playing professionally in Slovenia, to climbing up the rotation rank of the Spurs, Green has come a long way.

“I’d like to think so. I hope so,” he said when asked if San Antonio, who won the NBA title in 2014, will continue to contend for an NBA title over the next few seasons.

“I know that R.C. and Pop – even if he doesn’t stick around as a head coach – will be around the game for quite a bit and they will continue to do a good job of bringing in new talent, new blood, and continue making us contenders.”

“I’d like to be some point of focal point of the team when that happens later on in the future,” said Green, who is only the third player to win an NCAA title as a Tar Heel and an NBA title (James Worthy, Michael Jordan).

“It would be great to have those two guys around for a while, hopefully keep Timmy (39) as long as we can, Manu (38) and Tony (33) as long as we can. But at some point they’re going to have to move on and stop playing, but I think in the future – with that core, that foundation – I think we can still be contenders.”

“Hopefully one day I can achieve half of what they achieve and I’ll be a decent player.”

When asked if the moves San Antonio made this offseason should have them atop the list of championship contenders entering the upcoming NBA season, Green said that distinction still belongs to the defending champions.

“I think it still belongs to Golden State – they’re the reigning champs. We’re not at the top of anything; we haven’t won anything yet. We just look good on paper right now.” – Rappler.com