The San Antonio Spurs might soon let go of franchise superstar Tim Duncan, not to see him play for a different team, but to reward him after all the hard work and success he brought to the franchise. 

As of the moment, Duncan remains undecided regarding his playing career, although last week, he picked up the player option in his existing contract that would earn him nearly $6.4 million for the 2016-17 season. 

However, according to a report by the San Antonio Express-News, there is a possibility for the Spurs to waive him. This move is not a sign of disrespect, with the sole purpose of allowing him to retire while still keeping the salary he should make for the upcoming season. 

The 2015-16 season was the 19th for Duncan in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and with the Spurs. However, the previous campaign did not go well for the 40-year-old as his numbers declined significantly. He was listing 8.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.3 rejections, in 25.2 minutes per outing. His scoring, rebounding, blocking and playing minutes averages are all career-lows. 

A factor that may have affected Duncan's production is the arrival of LaMarcus Aldridge who was seen as his replacement until Pau Gasol decided to join the Spurs a few days ago. 

Currently, there are still no signs that Duncan has already made the important career decision. If he returns, there is a huge possibility his numbers will continue to dip especially with Gasol also being part of San Antonio's frontcourt. The best he could do at that moment is to continuously provide veteran leadership. 

Whatever Duncan's future plans will be, the Spurs remain contenders in the Western Conference, and they no longer need to worry who will take over the helm when he leaves with Aldridge and Gasol on the roster.