LaMarcus Aldridge left Portland to join the San Antonio Spurs in free agency nearly a decade ago. However, the decision is fresh in Trail Blazers fans' minds after recent revelations. It was disappointing to see Aldridge leave while he was still in his prime, but it was also hard to blame him for doing so.
There were previous reports of Aldridge feeling disrespected during his time in Portland. He had an opportunity to join one of the league's premier organizations back in his home state, and he took it.
Aldridge inked a four-year, $80 million max contract in what is viewed as the best Spurs free agency signing in franchise history. But we are now discovering that there may have been regret surrounding Aldridge's decision.
LaMarcus Aldridge tried returning to Portland multiple times
In a Damian Lillard docuseries, "The Damian Lillard Story," Aldridge recently admitted that he tried returning to Portland. Multiple times, in fact. But that request was shot down each time by former GM Neil Olshey.
👀 While playing on the Spurs, LaMarcus Aldridge tried to return to Portland "two or three times" after Dame asked him to reunite on the Blazers.
— monis (@mrbigfits) March 5, 2025
(from Episode 2 of 'The Damian Lillard Story,' narrated by @ChrisBHaynes)
🟢:https://t.co/rJvaVXTlst
🍎: https://t.co/rHQCuoNnM7 pic.twitter.com/TwOAI9z0Nb
"At some point, I did try to get back, but Neil [Olshey], the GM at the time, didn't want me back. I was calling, trying to get back, and my agent was calling. He was like, 'They don't want you back.' That was confirming how I felt when I left. Neil really didn't want me back, and he confirmed it when I tried to come back two or three times throughout my career. He never let it happen," revealed Aldridge.
Needless to say, this has perplexed Blazers and Spurs fans alike. Jahlil Williams of Air Alamo wrote, "If he felt so disrespected, why would he want to leave the place that welcomed him with wealth and success to return to old pastures?" But as Williams also notes, it's hard to blame either side in situations like this, especially since we don't know the whole story and what went on behind the scenes.
The Lillard-Aldridge pairing was cut short by his free agency departure. Lillard was selected in 2012, giving the star duo just three seasons to play together.
Because Lillard was so impactful early on in his career, they enjoyed some playoff success together, including a Western Conference Semifinals run. But the timing was still unfortunately off, with Aldridge leaving just as Lillard was beginning to ascend to superstar status. Portland made six consecutive playoff appearances after Aldridge left but was never able to get over the hump.
At the very least, it would have been nice to see Aldridge in a Blazers uniform for one final year as a proper sendoff for one of the top ten Blazers of all time.
"I even tried to go back at the end, one last time. I was like, 'Man, can I come back for one year and retire as a Trail Blazer?' But he wouldn't do it."