San Antonio Spurs exploring LaMarcus Aldridge trade possibilities?
If the San Antonio Spurs are actually looking into some of the report NBA trade rumors for the deadline, could LaMarcus Aldridge be on the move?
The NBA trade rumors surrounding a potential trade deal for star power forward, and former Texas Longhorns basketball standout, LaMarcus Aldridge mostly died down during the stretch run of the 2017-18 NBA regular season. The last reports that had any credible backing about a potential trade involving LaMarcus Aldridge came back in January 2018, according to ESPN.
However, some rumors surrounding something like a potential LaMarcus Aldridge return to the Portland Trail Blazers leaked over in the 2018 off-season. Nothing came of it, but some rumors could re-emerge with the San Antonio Spurs struggling under head coach Gregg Popovich this season out in the Western Conference. The departures of players like superstar Kawhi Leonard and sharpshooter Danny Green proved to be more costly than expected.
Some are pushing for the Spurs to tank and hopefully build around someone like freshman Duke Blue Devils forward Zion Williamson. Others are pushing for the Spurs to continue making the franchise’s regular appearances in the NBA Playoffs. Rarely have we seen a bracket for the NBA Playoffs in the past two decades void of the Spurs. But, sometimes a rebuild is necessary.
Deciding whether it’s appropriate for the Spurs to shop LaMarcus Aldridge is dependent on two things this season. The first is where the Spurs sit in the standings in the West once the Trade Deadline arrives. The second dependency is what trade packages are made available to the Spurs to get in return. That second point also takes into account how much the Spurs buy-in to a full rebuild.
If the Spurs are presented with a scenario in which a nice set of draft picks are offered or a good young player to build around is hard to refuse. Recent reports indicate that the Spurs are making a valiant push to bring in New York Knicks star forward Kristaps Porzingis, and LaMarcus Aldridge might be used in a potential deal like that.
Gregg Popovich says LaMarcus Aldridge’s improvement with SA is in part because Popovich “stopped overcoaching him.” When I asked Pop what brought him to the decision to change, he revealed LMA asked for a trade this summer. Said it was the first time in 20 years a player did that
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) January 12, 2018
Acquiring a player like Porzingis from the Knicks is a worthy deal for the Spurs, or possibly grabbing a lottery selection for the 2019 or 2020 NBA Draft. Granted, it’s difficult to tell whether a team will be able to provide a lottery pick for the 2020 NBA Draft.
The Spurs have serious interest in Kristaps Porzingis, per @ringer.
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 8, 2019
Few teams in the NBA stuck around the rumor mill as much lately as the Spurs. San Antonio was mentioned amid trade rumors of late involving players ranging from Philadelphia 76ers talented guard Markelle Fultz all the way to Orlando Magic big man Nikola Vucevic.
However, if the Spurs are to trade LaMarcus Aldridge, it would mostly mean throwing in the towel for playoff contention for the rest of the season. He’s having a solid season, posting averages greater than his career averages in every major stat category pretty much across the board. Even his player efficiency rating, sitting at 21.5, is better than his career average.
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Depending on what the intentions and direction for San Antonio’s front office is headed toward, trading LaMarcus Aldridge could actually make sense. The heat between Aldridge and his head coach look to have cooled off since the end of last season. That probably means he’s not firmly on the trading block anymore.