NBA Rumors: Spurs Have A Shot At Landing LaMarcus Aldridge In Free Agency?

The San Antonio Spurs may be on the verge of a different era. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that the Spurs lose Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili over the summer with players potentially calling it a career rather than returning for one more season.

Fortunately, along with the team intent on keeping up-and-comer Kawhi Leonard long-term, San Antonio may have a shot at landing one of the top-tier free agents this summer. All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge will become a free agent in July and would be an ideal candidate to replace Duncan in the frontcourt.

According to Zach Lowe of Grantland.com, the Spurs might be able to sit down with Aldridge this summer in an attempt to sign him to a long-term deal:

The Spurs accepted that risk because waiting to bump up Leonard’s salary gives them the chance to dangle max cap space in front of Marc Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge this summer. Neither is a good bet to leave his current team, but sources around the league have been saying for weeks that the Spurs might get a hearing with Aldridge — and that was before the Oregonian reported that at least one Blazers player thinks there is only a 50-50 chance that Aldridge stays in Portland.

(And no, I wouldn’t take that as gospel, either. Aldridge said before the season that he wants to be the greatest Blazer ever.)

With Aldridge’s teammates believing it may be 50-50 that he re-signs with the Portland Trail Blazers, the Spurs may have a legitimate shot to sign the veteran forward. The Los Angeles Lakers have also been mentioned as a potential candidate if Aldridge seriously considers leaving Portland.

Although there’s still a lot of basketball left to be played in the playoffs, Aldridge could ultimately be headed elsewhere and would be the perfect addition for the Spurs even if Duncan still has something left in the tank.