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Tim Duncan could have easily gone out on top, with his fifth NBA championship trophy under his arm and his health intact just a few months after his 38th birthday.

There's just no way. Duncan is having too much fun with his San Antonio Spurs coaches and teammates, and he's playing too well to call it quits now.

Duncan has decided to exercise the option on his contract for 2014-15 and will return next season, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Monday.

As the Spurs beat the two-time defending champion Miami Heat in the NBA Finals earlier this month, Duncan was asked several times about his future, as he has been for the last five or six years. He was noncommittal, saying he would take some time after the season ended to mull his decision.

But after Game 5, most of the Spurs said they expected the group to return and now Duncan has reached his decision He will make about $10.3 million next season in the final year of a two-year agreement.

"He feels a responsibility to his teammates," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said after the team won the championship. "He enjoys them. He wants to hang around as long as he can while he's useful and while he's having an impact on the game."

Agent says Anthony 'loves being a Knick'

Carmelo Anthony "loves being a Knick" but is headed for free agency because he wants to explore his options, his agent said.

Anthony had a Monday deadline to terminate the final year of his contract and had already informed the team he would do so. He will be able to negotiate with teams starting July 1.

"Carmelo loves being a Knick, he loves the city and the fans," Leon Rose said. "At this stage of his career he just wants to explore his options."

The best one financially would be to return to New York, which can offer him an extra year and around $25 million more than any team under NBA rules.

But Anthony has said his priority at this stage of his career is to contend for championships, and the Knicks are coming off a 37-45 season and have little ability to upgrade the roster this summer because of salary cap rules.

Felton to plead guilty

Prosecutors say New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton is expected to plead guilty in a felony gun possession case in exchange for being sentenced to community service and a $5,000 fine. Felton was in a Manhattan court Monday, when prosecutors outlined the agreement. The plea date is to be set at a June 30 court session.

Felton was arrested in February. He turned himself in shortly after a game.Authorities say his estranged wife's lawyer had brought a loaded semi-automatic handgun to a police precinct in February, saying it was Felton's and she wanted it out of their house. She had filed for divorce the week before.

The NBA has said it's monitoring the case.

Around the league

Nuggets • Forward Darrell Arthur and point guard Nate Robinson have exercised their contract options for the upcoming season.

Cavaliers • Tyronn Lue is joining Cleveland after all. Lue, who had two interviews during Cleveland's coaching search, has been added to new coach David Blatt's staff, a person familiar with the hiring told the Associated Press on Monday. Lue will be an associate head coach under Blatt. The 37-year-old Lue spent the past five years working on Doc Rivers' staff in Boston and Los Angeles.