There’s reason to believe that LaMarcus Aldridge is legitimately considering signing with the Dallas Mavericks as a free agent this summer, which in turn would make him teammates with future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki.
If there were any kind of tactical conflict with Aldridge being in Dallas, it would be the fact that he and Nowitzki both play the same position, but with Dirk on the final legs of his career, he’s whole-heartedly welcoming to the idea of Aldridge taking up the mantle.
From Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News:
“We’d love to have him,” he said at an appearance at the Mavericks Hoop Camp presented by Academy Sports at Episcopal School of Dallas on Tuesday. “He’s a great mid-range shooter. He plays bigger than he is on the defensive end. He’s a good rebounder on both ends of the floor, and on that left block he’s a beast. So I mean, he’s a really, really good player….
“We’ve been ousted twice in the first round the last two years, and whatever I got to do, I’m ready to help.”
“I know that, at 37, I can’t be the No. 1 option if we want to play for the championship. That’s how the cycle goes. Really, if you look at our roster, we only got four or five guys, so we got a lot of work to do. We need a little bit of everything.”
Aldridge is a native of Dallas, and while the San Antonio Spurs are said to be in contention, the Mavs reportedly have the upper hand.
Dirk has a strong point about the current nature of the Mavericks roster. They need more firepower in the loaded West. Landing a premier talent like Aldridge would be an power-shifting boost and a welcomed crutch for Nowitzki.
In Portland, Aldridge is paired with another young star in Damian Lillard, and they’ve begun a terrific uprise as a duo. Signing with Dallas would imply more of Aldridge’s desire to pursue a championship legacy, as the Mavericks have established that culture since most recently winning the title in 2011.
Nowitzki’s stamp of approval is sincere. Now it’s on Aldridge to decide where he will likely play for the rest of his career.
