Could Spurs turn to Taylor Jenkins if Gregg Popovich doesn’t return?

The future of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is unknown after he suffered a stroke earlier in the season. The future of Taylor Jenkins is also unknown after he was stunningly dismissed by the Grizzlies on Friday.

Jenkins spent six seasons in Memphis and is the franchise’s all-time winningest coach. Popovich is not just a San Antonio legend — but an NBA icon.

But people around the league have told Hoops Wire that Popovich is likely to focus on his health moving forward. At least, many in the NBA are hoping he can be talked into it.

Others have suggested that if Popovich does get out of coaching (and perhaps into the front office full-time), Jenkins could be the man for the Spurs’ job.

That’s not a shot at the job that Spurs acting/interim coach Mitch Johnson has done. He very well could be the frontrunner if Popovich doesn’t return. But Jenkins will undoubtedly be in the running for coaching vacancies this offseason — and there will undoubtedly be some. If the Spurs are among those, we will hear Jenkins’ name.

San Antonio won’t be qualifying for the postseason, but the future looks incredibly bright. We can all safely assume that Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox will return next season, and they are the centerpieces. But the Spurs have plenty of other nice pieces, too. Under Johnson, regardless of who’s on the floor, they play incredibly hard and generally pretty smart.

He would warrant strong consideration, again, if Pop moves on. And if Johnson didn’t land the hypothetical San Antonio gig, he would be up for jobs elsewhere.

This is all one big “if,” of course — but it’s also something that’s being discussed in league circles. By the time June or July rolls around, Jenkins as a candidate in San Antonio could be a thing.