San Antonio Spurs power forward Lamarcus Aldridge finally broke his silence, responding to his critics via his Instagram account. Aldridge posted a photo of him wearing a Spurs with the caption “me listening to everyone saying what I'm going to do or should do.... y'all done yet?”, which was obviously addressed to his critics, who had a field day after his poor play in the playoffs. Aldridge’s Instagram post carried many messages. Wearing a Spurs shirt while addressing his critics means that Aldridge wants to stay in San Antonio, who signed him to four-year, $84 million deal in 2015 as heir-apparent to Tim Duncan.
Aldridge was criticized for his poor play in the playoffs, especially during the Western Conference finals after Kawhi Leonard went down with an ankle injury. He averaged just 15.5 points and 5.8 boards as the Spurs succumbed to a more superior Golden State Warriors via sweep. In the regular season, Aldridge averaged 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, a slight drop compared to his output in his first season, where he averaged 18.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Aldridge has two years and almost $44 million remaining in his contract, with a player option on the final year.
Spurs tried to trade Aldridge
During the offseason, the Spurs reportedly dangled Aldridge for a top 10 pick in the 2017 Draft but there were no takers.
The Spurs then wanted to create cap space for Chris Paul, but they were beaten to the punch by the Houston Rockets. Sam Amico of Amico Hoops reported that the Cavaliers expressed interest in Aldridge and Danny Green. Initially, the Cavaliers inquired about Green only but later included Aldridge’s name in the discussion. However, no trade materialized.
Blazers also expressed interest in Aldridge
The Oregonian reported that the Portland Trail Blazers expressed interest in a reunion with Aldridge. According to the newspaper, the Blazers planned to arrange a deal that will reunite Aldridge with star playmaker Damian Lillard. After taking him 2nd overall in 2006, the Chicago Bulls shipped Aldridge Blazers for Viktor Khryapa and Tyrus Thomas.
Aldridge played the first nine years of his career in Portland. In his rookie year, Aldridge averaged just 9.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in 63 games, with 22 starts. The following season, he showed his true potential, averaging 17.8 points and 7.6 boards in 76 games. Aldridge’s best season came in his last season with the Blazers, when he averaged 23.4 points and 10.2 boards.
