HoopsHype.com Rumors

At long last, the Spurs have a game targeted for injured guard Manu Ginobili to make his long-awaited return. Saturday in New Jersey appears to be the day. Speaking before tonight’s game against the 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center, coach Gregg Popovich called Ginobili “likely” for the game against the Nets. In fact, Popovich said Ginobili — who will miss his 22nd game since fracturing his shooting hand Jan. 2 in Minnesota — tried to bargain his way onto the floor in Philadelphia. “I think it’s too early,” Popovich said about the prospect of Ginobili playing against the Sixers. “We’d like to get him into a 5-on-5 situation before he plays. I think we’ll be able to do that this week. “Probably New Jersey is the first time he’ll be allowed to play, I think,” Popovich said. “I think it’s likely.” San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Manu Ginobili, Injuries 

Sam Amico: Malcolm Thomas, waived by Spurs Tuesday, to sign w/D-League's LA D-Fenders after clearing waivers. Likely to join team in Reno this weekend. Twitter

San Antonio Spurs, D-League, Malcolm Thomas 

Mike Monroe: Per @Jeff McDonald expect to see @Manu Ginobili back on court next week; fully cleared by medics, he's working on conditioning, rhythm Twitter

San Antonio Spurs, Manu Ginobili, Injuries 

San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker today was named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, Jan. 30, through Sunday, Feb. 5. This is Parker’s seventh time earning Western Conference Player of the Week honors. The Celtic’s Paul Pierce was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Parker averaged team highs in points (22.3 ppg), assists (8.0 apg) and steals (1.50 spg), as the Spurs went 4-0. He scored a season-high 42 points and added 9 assists Saturday in a 107-96 win over the NBA’s top team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Parker has scored 40-or-more points three times in his career, most recently March 25, 2009, when he scored 42 points at Atlanta. NBA.com

Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, Paul Pierce, Tony Parker 

Celtics captain Paul Pierce was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday after helping to guide Boston to a 4-0 week while averaging a team-high 22 points to go along with 6.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds. A glimpse of his week from the NBA press release: * Jan. 31 at Cleveland: Recorded 20 points, six assists and three steals in a 93-90 win over the Cavaliers. ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, Paul Pierce, Tony Parker 

But Ginobili has received one of the unique honors of his career with his inclusion in a recent Looney Tunes commercial. During the episode, Lola Bunny speaks of her love for Ginobili at the 4:04 mark of this You Tube video (Hat tip: Project Spurs.com). Can Manu get any bigger than this? Here’s a look at the You Tube video of Manu’s mention. San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Manu Ginobili, Showbusiness 

Jeff McDonald: Asked if there's bad blood between him and Russell Westbrook, Parker said no: “I respect Westbrook. He’s a great player in our league." Twitter

Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker, Russell Westbrook 

Tony Parker arrived in San Antonio in the summer of 2001 a skinny, unknown French point guard in an era when European players were still more novelty than necessity. All Spurs coach Gregg Popovich asked him to do was replace the only championship point guard the franchise had ever had. On a Saturday night more than a decade later, in the Spurs’ 107-96 victory over NBA-leading Oklahoma City, Parker replaced Avery Johnson in the record books. With nine assists, Parker passed Johnson as the team’s all-time leader with 4,477. Popovich, ever the whip to Parker’s backside, feigned being unimpressed. “He’s been here a long time,” Popovich said with a shrug and, if you looked closely enough, a smile. “He should have a lot of assists.” San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker 

Smith is an unrestricted free agent, and Chandler and Brooks are restricted free agents, likely to re-sign with Denver and Phoenix, respectively. Smith has significant interest around the NBA, including the Lakers, Knicks, Spurs and several more potential contenders. Yahoo! Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Free Agency, JR Smith 

Marc Stein: My man @Chris Broussard reported FRI that Heat/Spurs/Clips/Hawks/Knicks all after K-Mart. LA Times reports today Clips "like their chances" Twitter

Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Free Agency, Kenyon Martin 

Adrian Wojnarowski: Martin's list of suitors also includes Knicks, Lakers, Spurs. NBA may make a Denver sign-and-trade an unlikely scenario, sources say. Twitter

Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Free Agency, Kenyon Martin 

Kenyon Martin is expected to decide by this weekend which NBA team he’ll join, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks have expressed interest in signing the veteran forward. Yahoo! Sports

Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Free Agency, Kenyon Martin 

Martin, 34, has visited with as many as five teams over the past two weeks and has another meeting scheduled Wednesday, sources said. He averaged 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 48 games with the Nuggets last season. Martin wants to join a winning team that gives him consistent minutes. Yahoo! Sports

Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Free Agency, Kenyon Martin 

“He’s a veteran guy who knows how to win at a high level and in a playoff environment,” one NBA general manager said. “He also plays multiple positions. If you get him to a situation where he can be an Antonio McDyess-type of guy, that’s a heck of a guy to add to your roster.” Yahoo! Sports

Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Free Agency, Kenyon Martin 

Darnell Mayberry: ESPN's @jadande asked KD which great duo in the history of the game he hopes to be like. Durant said Tony Parker and Tim Duncan. Twitter

Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Kevin Durant, Tony Parker, Tim Duncan 

For much of the Spurs’ past few road trips, Manu Ginobili has been a ghost. Still recovering from a broken left hand suffered Jan. 2 in Minnesota, the Spurs’ All-Star guard has been mostly hidden from public view, save for a few appearances behind the bench in street clothes. Though still a few weeks away from returning to the court, Ginobili is out of his post-surgery splint and has been cleared to do some basketball work with his repaired hand. “He’s shooting mid-range shots, lefty,” coach Gregg Popovich said Monday. “He’ll be cleared to go one-on-one in a week or so.” San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Manu Ginobili, Injuries 

Ginobili remains on a timetable that should put him back on the court at some point during the Spurs’ nine-game rodeo road trip next month. Including Monday’s 83-73 victory in Memphis, the Spurs are 10-7 with Ginobili sidelined. The Spurs’ other injured guard, backup point T.J. Ford, is facing a later return from the torn left hamstring he suffered Jan. 10 at Milwaukee. “He’s further away,” Popovich said. “Hamstrings are a tricky thing.” San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Manu Ginobili, Injuries 

On playing his final year in Los Angeles: "I was in Arkansas [in 2003], and I said, whatever team wins [between the Lakers and Spurs], I'm going to the opposite. And I wanted the Spurs to lose, so I could go to them. But the [Spurs] won, but I had made up my mind 'cause I didn’t want people sittin' there sayin', 'Oh he went there [because] they won it last year.' I wanted to go help 'em." Deseret News

Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Karl Malone 

As the struggling Knicks await the returns of Carmelo Anthony and Baron Davis from injury, they remain alive in the Kenyon Martin Sweepstakes. Andy Miller, Martin’s agent, reiterated by text Monday that Martin will make his decision “by week’s end.” The former Net and Denver Nugget is considering the Knicks, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks. ZagsBlog.com

Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Free Agency, Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin 

Jeff McDonald: Tim Duncan laughed when asked if he wished that same officiating crew had been around to review Derek Fisher's 0.4 shot in 2004 playoffs. Twitter

San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan