LaMarcus Aldridge was the big catch of 2015 NBA Free Agency, hooking up with the San Antonio Spurs in what was seen as a passing of the torch for Tim Duncan who eventually retired in the 2016 offseason. Aldridge had to undergo some adjustments though the belief is that the 31-year-old player was expected to improve more under Gregg Popovich’s watch.
With Duncan gone, that could all come to play this season. Unfortunately, surprise NBA trade rumors have surfaced claiming that Aldridge may not even make it through the season with the Spurs. The reason given to the dish was that the Spurs are reportedly no satisfied with the acquisition, unable to see the essence of the Aldridge signing, CSN New England reported.
That said, Aldridge may find himself in a similar situation like Greg Monroe. The Milwaukee Bucks had high hopes for Monroe though he didn’t exactly turn out to be the player many pegged him to be. To this day, he remains in the center of NBA trade rumors and the belief is that he may eventually be dealt in the near future.
For Aldridge, he is a proven talented big man when he was still with the Portland Trail Blazers. He is an all-star and joining the Spurs was a big step. While he hardly made an impression last season, the reason behind that is because Duncan was still around to pick up the slack in the event that he stumbled.
The story is different for the coming season with Duncan retired. David West is also gone and this means Aldridge will get more than enough playing time to prove he deserves every penny of that $80 million contract, Bleacher Report reported.
New recruit Pau Gasol will be there to guide him but the fact is the Spurs want to see more. If Aldridge turns out to be a dud, expect something to go down before February 2017, the NBA trade deadline.