Exclusive The official Lamarcus Aldridge free agency thread

I'd like to give up 120 points per game

 

Masai Ujiri on with @TSNDrive. Can't comment on report of LaMarcus Aldridge meeting until July 1. Says he doesn't want to get fined again

 

I wonder if we could intentionally add language into LMA's contract to give him the MAX based on NEXT years salary (i.e. he gets this years max, but next year it scales with the cap increase next year)? Thus, we can offer him the most years, biggest raises, on the biggest possible contract he could receive this year OR next.

 

He was the second pick? Is he just referring to Toronto?

 

They started out hot and fell off a cliff midseason. Defensively terrible team. Lots of talent though.

 

The more I think about it; if LaMarcus leaves there is only one team he will go to.

LA Lakers? He'd have to play center next to rookie Julius Randle, a rookie PG, and old man ball hog Kobe. They could only afford one other small MLE free agent. He'd be Pau Gasol of two years ago.
Knicks? Similarly they have no big men and they don't even have a good PG prospect. So many holes on that team. LaMarcus would again have to play a ton of center. They are the one team with a possible bigger ball hog than Kobe.
Mavs? They would have to renounce Chandler and Ellis. Would he play center next to Dirk or have Dirk come off the bench? That doesn't make sense. Even if he decides to play center what do they do at PG and SG? That team doesn't have a chance of contending.

He'd rather sign a two year deal here with a one year opt out and then when the cap goes up next summer he could bolt to those teams with a fellow max free agent or two.

But the team with a real chance is San Antonio. They'll have Parker, Kawhi, Splitter, Diaw, Patty Mills and of course Duncan. They can fit everyone under the cap if Duncan takes a Dirk level contract and they renounce Danny Green. But hell I could see Duncan taking the room exception to fit LaMarcus under the cap. Duncan will have 30 years to earn the money back in some random Spurs emeritus position. That roster has three other legit bigs who can help out at center. That team is the only one that could contend and they very likely give him a better chance to win next year than us.

Book it; LaMarcus either resigns here or bolts to the Spurs.

 

Yeah, I've mentioned this in a few threads, and I know another person or two has as well. That's what the agents have been working on - dissecting the current CBA so that they can properly come up with language to allow for such things to occur. For a while, it was looking like several big-name FA's would consider signing one-year deals, so they were working to come to a resolution to avoid such things.

 

Blazers are just younger than the Spurs across the board now. I think that's the deal breaker along with the extra year and money.

 

@latbbolch: Heard that LaMarcus Aldridge was leaning toward Lakers, a sign that their brand is not only back but never went away despite appearances.

 

Splitter - would most likely not be returning to the Spurs if LMA signed there.

THe rest of the bold are 33 or older; not sure Lamarcus would be in love with that idea, especially since Pop is rumored to want to retire with Parker & Duncan. So, his window would be, 1 year, MAYBE?

In conclusion, I'm not sure LMA is in love with the idea of a 2 year contract. He isn't LeBron - if he tears his acl next year, he is FUCKED. THis is gonna be his last major contract.

 

Dibs on "The Official Fuck You LMA" thread if this happens.

 

When you're 30 years old and have been out of the first round once; returning to a franchise possibly starting its third "retool" with youth may not be as enticing. The other team is a 5 time champion team who've won 50 games every season for 18 straight years. He would be joining finals MVP Kawhi who is younger than him and far superior to any player on the Blazers roster.

The 5th year LaMarcus could get is a potential negative just as much as its a potential positive. It means he has to wait 4 years for his next big contract instead of only 3 when the cap is over $100 million and he could be earning ~$40 million per season. Heck he might decide to sign a two or three year deal for the same reason even if he returns to Portland. He could buy a private insurance policy to protect himself from injury and probably come out ahead in the long run. He's already made $85 million so its not as if this is his first and only chance at a life changing big payday. Because of this unusual TV money situation this year the home team money benefit is likely a wash.

 

If LMA left and somehow Olshey's plan B actually got us to the WCF, while Aldridge's new team got bounced in the first round, would that be bitter sweet?

 

What is the bitter part in this hypothetical situation?

 

Just sweet.

 

Wait and to go further in the hypothetical, we play his team in the first round and sweep em.

 

I don't get why he would accept a four year 80 million deal with the Lakers. Our five year deal should blow that out of the water.

The media still acts like playing for the Knicks or Lakers is the holy grail for everyone, when they have sucked hard the past while.

The clippers have been the better team in la for awhile now and it seems like they still get minimal respect