With another Portland Trail Blazers' playoff loss to the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday night, rumors won't die about LaMarcus Aldridge's offseason plans.
Aldridge is an unrestricted free agent this summer and one source close to the franchise power forward would not be surprised if the 29-year-old heads home to Texas, according to Ken Berger of CBS.
This comes on heels of reports this week that some Blazer teammates are concerned Aldridge re-signing in Portland is not as certain as he has previously stated. The San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks believe they have a shot at Aldridge, ESPN's Marc Stein added late Wednesday.
The Spurs rumor is nothing new. Grantland's Zach Lowe reported in January that San Antonio could go after Aldridge if Tim Duncan retires; however after Duncan's Game 2 performance Wednesday, that is something nobody wants to think about right now.
The Mavs, on the other hand, appear on the verge of being eliminated from the postseason, and with Rajon Rondo all but gone, one wonders how a proactive owner like Mark Cuban would go about keeping Dallas relevant.
Power forward Dirk Nowitzki, after all, will be 37 next season; center Tyson Chandler is an unrestricted free agent this summer and will be 33 in October. Guard Monta Ellis has a player option for next season that he may well opt out of.
Given the fact that the salary cap will skyrocket in 2016, the logical step for Aldridge and other premium UFAs this summer is to sign a shorter deal with a player option. That way, they could reap the rewards later of the financial windfall. Only the Blazers can offer Aldridge a five-year deal this summer.
Aldridge is a four-time All-Star and has averaged 23.3 points and 10.7 rebounds a game the past two seasons. He is also expected to be pursued by the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks.
