LaMarcus Aldridge is one player that will come up in trade rumors this offseason and teams like the Chicago Bulls, LA Clippers, NY Knicks, Houston Rockets and LA Lakers could be in the mix for him, as the Portland Trail Blazers have to decide on giving him a contract extension and if they can't agree, the two sides could split this summer or in the offseason since he is coming into the last year of his deal.
Aldridge had a breakout performance in the playoffs with back to back 40 point games and he also factored into the MVP voting. He averaged a double-double this past season and is one of the best forwards in the league and he now is nearing his 30th bday and will be cashing in soon on a contract and the big question is whether it will be in Portland or not. The Lakers could make a deal and they would love to get him, while the Knicks would also love to make that deal if they lose Carmelo Anthony as a free agent.
Either way, Aldridge is in a very tough situation, because he is a max contract player or at least on the cusp of it, but he will be 29 over the summer and nearing 30 after next season and there always is a chance he could get injured. Aldridge will be looking for a max deal either this summer or next summer and in 2015 he will have to compete with Kevin Love for attention when he makes it to the free agent market and that adds another little nugget into the situation.
The Blazers defied expectations last season and ended up 54-28 and while they lost in bad fashion to the Spurs in the playoffs, they have a bright future ahead with Damian Lillard. Aldridge hits free agency on July 1, 2015 and that means he is on the Kevin Love lock and while it's not as crazy pressing as it is for Minnesota, the Blazers have a major decision on their hands. The team has Robin Lopez and he played very well last season and the Blazers offense was very good as well, but if Aldridge leaves that is a major hole to fill. Teams like the Knicks, Lakers, Clippers and Mavericks all could be in the mix for Aldridge and the Blazers are going to try and sign him before he hits free agency next summer.
Aldridge had a very good season in 2013-14 and he broke out big in the playoffs, scoring 40 points in back to back games and leading the Blazers in scoring. The team has to deal with a looming contract for emerging star Damian Lillard and that could affect how much money they have to spend on Aldridge. This isn't Kevin Love quite yet, but the team has to decide whether it wants to let Aldridge leave for nothing after next season or trade him now or at the deadline to ensure they get a return.
Aldridge is coming into the final year of his contract and he will be getting paid $16 million this season before becoming a free agent and while he may want to stay in Portland, he has no incentive right now to sign an extension before hitting free agency. According to Pro Basketball Talk, Aldridge likely will not sign an extension with the Blazers because right now there is only a certain amount of money he can make in that deal based on the salary cap and the CBA and that means he likely will hit the market. Aldridge could sign an extension this summer, but even then it doesn't make sense for him until at least July 1 when free agency begins and the report says that he could sign a short term deal to help mitigate the money issues.
Aldridge averaged 23 points and 11 rebounds last season and factored into the MVP voting and he was one of the most consistent players in the NBA. According to ESPN.com, the Knicks would be interested in making a deal and this comes after the team previously had a chance to try for a trade earlier in the season. The Knicks have Tyson Chandler and Iman Shumpert as trading chips and they could be options if they want to make a move this summer.
