Corey Maggette Will Play for the San Antonio Spurs or Retire

According to NBA veteran forward Corey Maggette, if he doesn’t make the final cut for the San Antonio Spurs’ roster, he’ll walk away from the game entirely. Per the Express-News: “When general manager R.C. Buford called Corey Maggette in September with an invitation to join the Spurs at training camp, the veteran small forward had a compelling reason to say yes. Namely, he had no other NBA offers. ‘It was either this or I was going to retire,’ Maggette said. Two games into his 15th NBA preseason, life is still that black and white for Maggette. Either he will make the Spurs, claiming for himself the 15th and final roster spot as a backup to emerging star Kawhi Leonard, or he will call it a career. ‘I’m either going to play, or I’m not,’ Maggette said. ‘And if not, I’ll be done.’ That isn’t a threat. It’s simply reality for a player less than a month from turning 34 and on the back nine of his career. With Leonard held out of Sunday’s 106-99 preseason loss to Phoenix at the AT&T Center, to be preserved for Monday’s exhibition in Denver, Maggette was offered a prime chance to state his case against the Suns. He responded with a mixed bag that included 10 points but only one field goal, two turnovers and six fouls that sent him to the bench with 3:02 remaining. But Maggette also did what Maggette does, plowing to the foul line for eight free throws, making them all. It was a familiar M.O. for a player who once averaged 10 foul shots a game for an entire season. ‘He looks like he’s caught on to what we’re trying to do,’ coach Gregg Popovich said. ‘He’s an intelligent player. He’s been in the league a while. He knows how to fit in, and that’s what he’s trying to do now, see if he can absorb enough to be part of this team or not.'”