Face of San Antonio Spurs to change

Spurs' David Robinson, center, celebrates after defeating the Nets 88-77 for the NBA Championship on Sunday. PHOTO: AP

When the San Antonio Spurs hold their ring ceremony 4 1/2 months from now, they'll bear only a passing resemblance to the championship squad that finished off the Nets in six games.

David Robinson will be retired. Steve Kerr might be. Steve Smith, Danny Ferry and Speedy Claxton will likely be playing elsewhere. Stephen Jackson and Kevin Willis could be gone, too.

Only San Antonio players -- Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Malik Rose and Bruce Bowen -- are under contract for next season when the Spurs will try to win a Western Conference that figures to be even stronger.

The Los Angeles Lakers will likely have a new power forward, and the Dallas Mavericks will try to get tougher along the front line, too. Both teams might make a play for Karl Malone, one of many premier free agents available this summer.

No agent will be more coveted than Jason Kidd, whose comments after Game 6 made it sound as though returning to the Nets was anything but certain.

"This is my second time coming short of winning that championship trophy.

"So I've got to find a team -- or stay with the Nets -- that has a better chance of winning that championship trophy. That's what I play this game for," Kidd said Sunday night.