LaMarcus Aldridge is reportedly interested in returning to the Portland Trail Blazers. What would the Blazers have to give up to bring Aldridge back to Portland?
In a recent article with Jason Quick of the Athletic, San Antonio Spurs power forward LaMarcus Aldridge stated the following when discussing his relationship with Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard:
"“I keep telling him I’m going to come back and finish [in Portland]. That’s something him and I have talked about—playing together again.”"
So, Aldridge is clearly interested in returning to the Portland Trail Blazers, and his relationship with Lillard appears to be very good. In fact, Aldridge recently congratulated Lillard for passing him on the Blazers all-time scoring list.
Congrats @Dame_Lillard 👌🏾
— LaMarcus Aldridge (@aldridge_12) March 16, 2019
Although Aldridge was originally set to hit free agency this summer, he signed a contract extension with the Spurs in late 2017 which will keep him off the open market until the summer of 2021.
However, the Blazers could still acquire him via trade. Now, the Spurs may not be interested in trading Aldridge, but Gregg Popovich seems close to retirement and they may want to start rebuilding this team around Dejounte Murray. The Spurs are not true title contenders which makes holding onto a 33-year-old forward hard to justify.
Aldridge is still a star and acquiring him would absolutely make the Blazers a better team. He is averaging 21.3 points and 9 rebounds per game and shooting a career-high 51.5% from the field.
Nevertheless, trading for Aldridge will come at a cost. Will it be worth it? Let’s take a look at some potential trades that the Blazers can make this offseason and break it down.