I’ll just get this out of the way right now… I love LaMarcus Aldridge. When looking ahead to this summer and free agency, one of my hopes was that somehow, some way, Aldridge would get frustrated enough with being on a good but not great team that he’d go searching for a new situation.
Well… I might be getting my wish
After an atrocious performance by the Blazers that at one point left Aldridge sitting alone on the bench as his teammates joined a late-game huddle, the Blazers need to worry about more than just losing this series.
They need to worry about losing one of the greatest players in franchise history.
Some Blazers players have already said they are worried free agency will take Aldridge away from Portland this summer. Earlier this month, before a home game, a Blazers player estimated the chances of him returning to Portland at 50-50.
This is going to be really interesting. Obviously, Portland has the advantage of being able to give him a 5-year deal. For a guy about to turn 30, a 5-year deal might be some really nice security.
But with the looming salary cap jumps, it’s possible Aldridge could be looking at a short-term deal and then a bigger max deal. And there’s the possibility that Portland will be open to a sign-and-trade in order to get something for their star while giving him the extra year and more money.
Regardless, this summer is getting a little more interesting.
