Jun 13, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs point guard Gary Neal (14) is defended by Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) during the fourth quarter of game four of the 2013 NBA Finals at the AT
According to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, the San Antonio Spurs will withdraw Neal’s $1.11 million qualifying offer, allowing the 28-year-old three-point specialist to entertain the unrestricted free agent market.
My guess — just like everyone else’s — is that he won’t last long there.
All signals suggest that Gary Neal, after strong play in NBA Finals, sure to be snapped up quickly once he becomes unrestricted free agent
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 23, 2013
Neal averaged 9.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game last season, while shooting nearly 36 percent from three in just 21.8 minutes per game. Neal, career-wise, is a 40 percent shooter from distance.
The Spurs signed Marco Belinelli earlier this offseason, perhaps clearing way for this move to happen. Neal has been receiving interest from multiple teams in the league, with the most publicized being the Milwaukee Bucks (of course).
The Bucks traded J.J. Redick and lost out on Monta Ellis earlier this month, so adding Neal would makes sense.
Now that Neal is unrestricted, teams have the opportunity to act on that reported interest.
The Spurs are considered the frontrunners, along with the Miami Heat, to sign center Greg Oden. Oden is expected to make a decision shortly, but it’s unclear whether the Neal move has any correlation with Oden’s decision.