At the height of their epic seven-game first round series against the Los Angeles Clippers, the San Antonio Spurs looked like a true championship favorite. But after dropping a 3-2 series lead, and losing in a decisive Game 7, their future has become as uncertain as anyone's in the league. But it appears that the Spurs may have found a way to around their conundrum.

As reported by Mike Monroe of the San Antonio News-Express, Tim Duncan and the Spurs could arrange a "wink-wink" deal that would give the Hall of Fame forward a two-year deal, and allow the team to save valuable salary cap space.

According to the report, several NBA player personnel executives believe San Antonio will offer Duncan a two-year contract between $6 and $7 million, with a partial guarantee and a player option for the second season.

"If Duncan doesn't exercise the option, he gets, say, 50 percent of that season's salary. In effect, his salary for the next season would remain over $10 million, the partially guaranteed potion of the second season's salary remaining on the Spurs team salary after the cap explodes with the NBA's new TV money kicking in for 2016-2017," Monroe writes.

The scenario is a similar deal the Spurs made with Antonio McDyess years ago. And with Duncan's cap hold at slightly over $15.5 million, a two-year deal would drop the team salary by more than $8 million should such a deal push thru.

Manu Ginobili has openly said that he would only return for another season if Duncan is also on board, as both will become unrestricted free agents in July.

NBC Sports notes that such a deal would only be illegal if it could be proven that there was an agreement in place ahead of time, something which is virtually impossible to do.