Stoudamire set to give Parker-less Spurs another option
January 31, 2008
SAN ANTONIO (AP) -Point guard Damon Stoudamire plans to sign with the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night, giving the defending champions another veteran option while Tony Parker nurses a left heel injury.
Stoudamire negotiated a buyout with Memphis earlier this week after falling behind two young players in the rotation. His agent, Aaron Goodwin, said the 34-year-old planned to sign with the Spurs sometime after clearing waivers.
The Spurs declined to comment.
Parker wants to play despite bone spurs in his heel, but coach Gregg Popovich has sidelined him indefinitely, saying the injury is getting worse. Results of an MRI exam were expected to be released Thursday.
The absence of Parker comes at a bad time for the Spurs. They've lost a season-high three straight and just started their annual rodeo road trip, a nine-game trek that made its second stop at Western Conference-leading Phoenix on Thursday night. Seattle ended a 14-game losing streak in the trip's opener.
Stoudamire has averaged 13.8 points and 6.3 assists in his 14-year career. He averaged 7.3 points and 3.9 assists in 29 games for the Grizzlies this season. His last game was Dec. 30 against the Spurs.
The Rookie of the Year for 1995-96, Stoudamire averaged a career-high 20.2 points in his second season before getting traded to Portland the following year.
After seven-plus seasons with the Trail Blazers, Stoudamire signed as a free agent with Memphis in 2005. A knee injury ended his first season with the Grizzlies after just two months, and his scoring average hasn't returned to double digits since.
Jacque Vaughn, the Spurs' other true point guard, is averaging 4.1 points and 2.4 assists in 36 games, five of them starts. He played a season-high 37 minutes in the Seattle loss.
Brent Barry and Manu Ginobili also have played the point in Parker's absence.