LaMarcus Aldridge got the answers he needed from the San Antonio Spurs.
LaMarcus Aldridge got the answers he needed from the San Antonio Spurs.
And the Spurs apparently got the answer they wanted.
Ending a frantic few days of courtship — and perhaps cementing the Spurs as the preseason favorites to win yet another NBA title — Aldridge announced Saturday that he will sign with San Antonio and align with Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard to form what would figure to be among the league’s most-formidable frontcourts.
“I’m happy to say I’m going home to Texas and will be a Spur!!” Aldridge, a Dallas native, posted to his verified Twitter account. “I’m excited to join the team and be close to my family and friends.”
The Spurs could not comment because of the league’s offseason moratorium. Aldridge’s representatives did not respond to requests for further comment beyond the tweet.
Aldridge, who spent his first nine seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, will be eligible to sign his new deal Thursday.
“You could kind of tell once this whole thing started that he was trying to go somewhere else,” Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant said during summer league play in Orlando, Florida. “In those decisions, you’ve just got to respect the guy for making a decision that was right for him. I know a lot of fans were probably upset in Portland in his decision, but at this point in your life and your career you’ve got to focus on you.”
Aldridge met with several teams, all who were offering what the Spurs did: $80 million for four years.
The Los Angeles Lakers tried to woo him to play alongside Kobe Bryant. The Mavericks tried to sell him on coming home. Houston and Phoenix — which cleared a ton of cap space in an effort to get Aldridge — made pitches as well, and Pat Riley flew to Los Angeles to try to talk Aldridge into leaving the loaded Western Conference, coming East and joining the Miami Heat.
Some of the pitches were more appealing than others to Aldridge. But how the Spurs responded to his questions, most recently in their second meeting in Los Angeles on Friday — a lunchtime chat where they were spotted by fellow diners who snapped photos that quickly went viral — obviously won the battle.
“So happy he’s going to be a Spur !!” Spurs guard Tony Parker tweeted.
It ushers in a new era for Portland. Damian Lillard got a new $120 million deal in recent days to stay with the Blazers, but Wesley Matthews (Dallas), Nic Batum (Charlotte), Arron Afflalo (New York) and Robin Lopez (New York) are heading elsewhere.
Now Aldridge, the second-leading scorer in Portland history behind only Clyde Drexler, is gone as well.
Blazers general manager Neil Olshey made several moves in preparation for Aldridge’s departure, which seemed inevitable. He sent Batum to Charlotte for guard Gerald Henderson and second-year power forward Noah Vonleh, added big man Mason Plumlee in a draft-day trade with Brooklyn and signed versatile power forward Ed Davis to a three-year, $20 million deal.
Lakers close to making trade for Pacers center Hibbert
The Lakers are finalizing details to acquire Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert, a middle-tier option after the team struck out on a slew of big-name free agents this week.
Hibbert gives them a post player with legitimate NBA experience but he is coming off a poor season.
The Lakers will give up at least one future second-round pick and perhaps some players no longer on their roster who are playing overseas. They might also include cash to Indiana in the deal.
Hibbert, 28, is a good shot blocker but erratic scorer and below-average rebounder. His days in Indiana were numbered when team President Larry Bird all but guaranteed he would play a lesser role next season.
The Pacers were looking for takers almost from the moment Hibbert exercised a $15.5-million player option for next season.
“If he comes back, we’re probably going to play another style,” Bird told reporters in April. “And I can’t guarantee him anything. He’s going to have to earn it.”
Pacers Coach Frank Vogel didn’t mince words when asked if Hibbert would be benched if he came back next season.
“Yeah, potentially,” he said, adding that Indiana would rather play at a faster pace without the plodding 7-foot-2 center.
The addition of Hibbert, who has a trade kicker that increases his actual cap number to $17.8 million, leaves the Lakers with less than $5 million to spend on a dwindling free-agent market.