At the very top of the list of coveted free agents this summer is LaMarcus Aldridge, who is said to be one of the likely high-profile candidates to change teams. The Trail Blazers are at risk of losing their cornerstone forward, which might have led to the trade they made yesterday, sending Nic Batum to Charlotte for Gerald Henderson and Noah Vonleh.
The Dallas Mavericks have been reported as the frontrunner to land Aldridge in free agency, as have the San Antonio Spurs, as returning to his home state of Texas becomes more of a likely outcome. Although the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers didn’t appear to be real possibilities for Aldridge at first, one of those teams has moved up on the list, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein:
ESPN.com reported in May that both the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks strongly believe they’ll have a great shot to lure Aldridge back to his home state of Texas next month. But sources said this week that Aldridge is actually thinking more and more about a free-agent jump to the Los Angeles Lakers….
The Spurs, sources say, continue to be Aldridge’s most likely destination if he goes through with the idea of leaving the Blazers to start anew. But sources also say there is a rising sentiment that the Lakers have edged past the Mavericks on Aldridge’s wish list despite the fact that he was a high school star in Dallas.
The Lakers routinely find themselves in the rumor mill of landing top-tier free agents. They’ve now been linked to the likes of Aldridge, Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, and Kevin Love.
From a cap space standpoint, the Lakers are in the position to sign a top-tier free agent this summer to a max deal. From a competitive standpoint, for Aldridge or anyone else, the Lakers take a backseat to other suitors. The Spurs and Mavericks currently present more feasible winning opportunities for Aldridge than the Lakers do, not to mention the benefits of having no state income tax in Texas.
For the Lakers, luring someone of Aldridge’s caliber is probably completely contingent upon making the necessary additions via the NBA Draft or by trade. DeMarcus Cousins is the big fish they’re trying to reel in at the moment, and it would take a move of that magnitude for them to be taken seriously as a contender for free agents. The Lakers are always in the running, but to actually steal someone like Aldridge would take a significant precursor.
