On Tuesday, Oct. 18th Jackie MacMullan, an NBA columnist for ESPN.com, said that LaMarcus Aldridge might not finish the season in a San Antonio Spurs jersey.
Before the 2015-16 NBA season, the San Antonio Spurs signed Aldridge to a four-year, $80 million deal. With Kawhi Leonard primed for a big season and Tim Duncan primed for retirement, signing the five-time All-Star seemed like the perfect move.
Fast-forward one year. Tim Duncan quietly retired from the league, Kawhi Leonard won his second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award, and LaMarcus Aldridge trade rumors are on the rise.
At the moment, it is unclear why the Spurs are thinking about putting Aldridge on the trading block. However if Aldridge struggles during the regular season, the Spurs front office will be willing to take calls from other organizations.
Aldridge averaged 18.0 points and 8.5 rebounds on a career-high 51.3 percent shooting from the field last season. He also played the center position 46 percent of the time he was on the court last season, his highest total since the 2010-11 season. If Aldridge plays close to the same amount of time at the center position, the Spurs have reason to worry considering their ageless, defensive anchor is no longer protecting the paint.
When LaMarcus Aldridge played on the court without Tim Duncan, the Spurs’ defensive rating rose from 95.4 to 98.8. Also when Aldridge slid to center and Kawhi Leonard played the power forward, the Spurs allowed 111.3 points per 100 possessions. Last year, the Lakers had the worst defensive efficiency, allowing 109.3 points per 100 possessions.
On top of being a defensive liability, Aldridge is on the wrong side of 30. At age 31, Aldridge is six years older than Kawhi Leonard. Although he is still a great player, he is beginning to round out of his prime.
LaMarcus Aldridge must prove that he is still an automatic scorer in the post and that he can hold his own on defense. The San Antonio Spurs’ front office will keep a close eye on Aldridge as the season rotates into gear. ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe also believes that the Spurs might engage in trade talks if Aldridge underwhelms: “The Spurs will see if this team outperforms expectations. If it doesn’t, they should take calls on Aldridge. He’s really good, and there are a lot of impatient owners chasing immediate gratification.”
Who knows, maybe #12 will be draining pull-up J’s for your favorite team by season’s end.
Statistics from NBAwowy.com and Basketball-reference.com
