Matt Bonner wants to stay with San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio Spurs big man Matt Bonner says it’s a “safe assumption” he wants to return to the franchise for a ninth season, reports Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.

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“I’d love to be back, especially if everybody is coming back,” Bonner told McDonald.

A longtime favorite of Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, Bonner is one of the team’s longest-tenured players along with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Over the past eight years, he’s filled a number of roles for San Antonio, giving the team an elite spot-up shooter who embraces the system and works his tail off.

Over the past five years, Bonner has hit 42.9 percent of his three-point attempts. In that time frame, among guys who attempted at least 300 three-pointers, only Kyle Korver (44.4), Stephen Curry (44.0) and Steve Novak (43.3) shot better from beyond the arc.

So we know Bonner can still bring some value to the table, and we know there’s probably no better fit for his talent than San Antonio. While most guys with Bonner’s skill set end up as journeyman, bouncing around the league as desperate teams seek out shooting, he’s managed to be one of the longest-tenured players in the entire league.

It’s a testament to Bonner’s work ethic, and his willingness to do whatever Popovich asks of him, that he’s become such an entrenched part of the team. And while the Spurs could surely survive his loss, it’s more than likely that the team will pony up some cash to keep him around.

Bonner made $3,945,000 in 2013-14 to complete a four-year contract with the Spurs. Last season, he averaged 3.2 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.

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