LaMarcus Aldridge to Spurs: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction
Aldridge, one of the NBA offseason's most coveted free-agent targets, has signed with the San Antonio Spurs.
Aldridge took to Twitter to announce his decision:
The Spurs welcomed Aldridge to San Antonio after he officially signed:
"I'm happy to say I'm going home to Texas and will be a Spur!! I'm excited to join the team and be close to my family and friends.
— Lamarcus Aldridge (@aldridge_12) July 4, 2015"
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported on July 8 that the NBA has raised its max salary cap to $84.7 million, putting Aldridge's contract at four years, $84.1 million, per Wojnarowski.
Former Spurs small forward Bruce Bowen also gave Aldridge his blessing to wear his No. 12, which was retired by the organization.
“You want LaMarcus to feel part of the family,” Bowen told Jeff McDonald of the Express-News. “If I can have a hand in that, shoot, why not? I don’t play anymore.”
Aldridge wrote a letter to Trail Blazers fans thanking them for his time in Portland (via James Herbert of CBS Sports):
"Dear Rip City, Thank you!
Those two words on a page don't begin to express the gratitude I have for the opportunity the entire Trail Blazers organization, my teammates, the media, and you fans gave me. The past nine years have been a blessing, and I will take all of the valuable memories with me as I head back home.
As I'm sure you can respect, my decision was a very personal one but not one I took lightly. Although I will be wearing a different uniform the next time I come back to Portland, please know that I will always hold my time in a Blazers uniform near and dear to my heart.
Your friend, LA
"
Portland Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey spoke about Aldridge's decision to depart, saying, "We didn't inherit the happiest player in the world three years ago," per Mike Tokito of the Oregonian. Olshey also claimed it was a "two-year recruiting process" with the star power forward.
Despite the obstacles Portland seemingly had to overcome if it was going to keep Aldridge, Olshey said he wasn't informed the team was out of the running until the afternoon of July 3, according to Erik Gundersen of the Columbian.
On the other side of the coin, Tony Parker took to Twitter to welcome his newest teammate:
The Portland Trail Blazers acquired Aldridge as part of a draft-night trade in 2006. Over the next nine years, he steadily developed into one of the NBA's top forwards.
The Texas product, who's heading into his age-30 season, holds career averages of 19.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. This past season, he contributed 23.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 47 percent from the field.
His 2014-15 numbers allowed him to rank among the best in the NBA in some key advanced statistics. He finished inside the league's top 15 in player efficiency rating, value added and estimated wins added, according to ESPN.
Always known for his mid-range game, Aldridge started stepping out beyond the arc more often last season. He attempted a career-high 105 threes and converted 35.2 percent of them. His efficiency should improve if he continues to work on that area of his game.
Lee Miller of Elite Hoops provided the power forward's shot chart:
After the season ended, Aldridge told Jason Quick of the Oregonian that he loved playing in Portland but wasn't prepared to make any decisions right away.
"We will sit down and figure it out," Aldridge said. "I'm not going to get into the percentages. I've always loved being here and I've had a great nine years here—that's always going to have more weight than anything else."
In the end, however, Aldridge decided to take on a new challenge rather than continue his career with the Blazers.
It was likely a tough decision because he clearly enjoyed Portland, but this also probably marked the last time he was going to hit the market as a high-end player.
Now he must prepare for sky-high expectations, though. Returning to the Blazers would have taken some of that pressure away. He's flown below the radar for a player of his ability, in large part because he played in the Pacific Northwest and stayed with the same franchise for a long time.
Fortunately, he's joining a team in San Antonio that is rife with veteran talent, and he should slide in alongside Leonard and Tim Duncan in the to create an explosive, dynamic lineup.
Marc Stein of ESPN said the Spurs will also look to convince Manu Ginobili even more so now that Aldridge is joining the team, as the team needs him for depth.
Zach Lowe of Grantland summed up San Antonio's free-agency intentions best:
The spotlight is going to shine brightly on Aldridge following this move. Now, he must focus on proving he was worth the large investment.
