I would have added: Keep him for this year, see how the team does with the new additions and consider trading him next summer if it's not working.
I picked trade him now, but with the caveat that the trade needs to make sense for us. We're not going to get a star in return, so it's pointless to hold out for one. I wouldn't mind trading him for high picks, but I don't think that's likely to happen. And I don't think that his play will increase his trade value. So that leaves the first option. But he absolutely should be traded prior to next summer - Deadline at the latest, and draft night at the absolute latest. After that we're gonna get table scraps at best. Letting him walk for cap space is the second worst option - the worst option is re-signing him to a max deal.
He must be gone before training camp for whatever is the best offer. End the circus! Only trade him for a comparable star player in return Trade him for high pick(s) so we can tank. We're just average WITH him. Let him play the first half of the season to see if he can jack up his value NO TRADE! He has no leverage and we might be good!
Pretty much this. If a great deal comes along, sure, jump on it. Otherwise, it's impossible to know how to plan without knowing Aldridge's actual position. There's a huge difference between him saying that he wants out if the Blazers can't win vs. him flat-out saying that he wants out, period. LMA's recent tweets give the impression of the former, media jock-sniffers who delight in trade rumors are pushing the latter, but only the Blazers and LMA know what's actually been said and discussed. I'm pretty content in letting NO make the call.
Assuming he wants out (seems reasonable, if not likely) then I say hold on to him until the trade deadline -- unless an offer comes along that is too good to pass up. That said, choice 'C' was pretty compelling too. He is not a transcendent player, so unless the player in question qualifies, you should always be open to trading that player.
I don't think option 2 is viable because I don't see a comparable star that could be had. We aren't getting a high draft pick in the 2014 draft. I'd say there should be an option for young players, draft picks, and cap space for next summer.
Keep him for the year. Hope Love, Griffin or Horford ask for a trade, or (in Loves case) says that he will not stay... then trade him for Love. Or let him walk and throw the bank at Love.
I voted C: Tank This is no different than what I posted before the draft. It is based on these assumptions. Aldridge has told the team it needs to be competitive - and soon - or they should look to move him to a competitive situation - or at least his home state of Texas - which except for Dallas is the same thing as competitive. I didn't think that the team was in any kind of position to engineer a massive infusion of talent in time to retain LaMarcus. There really was only one hope, and that was having an All-Star demand a trade and has Portland on his list. Since that never happens (Charles Barkely was the last right?), it didn't happen. Despite having a decent off-season, and agreeing with the moves the team has made so far, the team is still very short of having enough talent to be a player in the deep West. In the East, this team could fake it. But, we are not in the East. The Blazers have improved their roster enough that a 7th or 8th seed is in reach. So, next summer, the team loses its pick and has no cap space to sign any decent free agents or make lopsided trades. MLE would be it. The team will now be in the muddled middle with no easy way out. The team will lose LaMarcus. His value with one year left will be much reduced from this summer. We would get a lot less next summer than this. If we wait until he expires, we will get even less. Think of LaMarcus as bread. Fresh is full price. Day old is discount. After that, pretty worthless. After losing LaMarcus, just so we could be 1st round fodder for one season, the prize is that the team doesn't have big cap space, and has to now begin the tanking process - shedding long salaries, losing to get high picks, developing young players, etc. The 2014 draft is projected to be the best since 2003. If we tank now, we keep our pick owed to Charlotte, and if we lose a lot of games that will be a very good pick. If we trade LaMarcus now in a multi-team trade, we can find a 2014 pick (maybe top 1 or top 3 protected), but we can get one. If we wait until the trade deadline or next summer, we will not be able to extract a 2014 pick that is likely to be any good. Teams will know what is what. Before the season starts there are always some teams have the idea they might be good, when they won't be. I want two lottery picks in the next draft. The team needs to take advantage of this opportunity. The price for going all out for the 8th seed and losing LaMarcus one or two years later, is two lottery picks in a great, and deep draft. As well as trading LaMarcus, I would look to trade Batum and Wes if a good deal came up. Looking for more salary flexibility and picks/young talent. After a losing season we add 2 lottery picks, and NO has a bunch of moveable assets and cap space to use in trades to remake the team. Tanking now will cut the rebuild time in half - 2 years instead of 4.
Problems: 1) why do you assume any of those guys want to stay in Portland long-term if LaMarcus doesn't? 2) the team - assuming they could trade for any of those guys straight up, would be right where they are with LaMacus - the muddled middle. Basketball purgatory.
Problem. We have Lillard, batum and Matthews; with Lopez being a decent center. I wouldn't be surprised if t rob actually pans out like a buck Williams. Even with trading out Aldridge for draft picks; won't guarantee a tank. All it will do is set us up in another meritocracy situation; but we just lost our all star. We better hope that the player coming back has all star potential...
TRob, at least to me, seems like a guy who could be a starter averaging a double double. He's a Brian Grant with better athleticism. The thing is, if you start TRob, we need a much more effective wing who can score. Someone who puts up 20 per game.
