NBA Free Agency 2015: Rumors on LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews and More

After a highly active opening day of free agency, things have slowed down a bit on Thursday. With several of the prized targets off of the board, those still on the market can reassess their options and see if any others emerge as teams begin looking toward Plan B.

While the money that's thrown around during the free-agent period can get out of hand, front offices often have no choice. Teams are forced to upgrade if they want to remain or become competitive, especially in the Western Conference, and there are limited ways to do that.

With that in mind, let's check out some of the latest rumors from around the league as Day 2 of free agency rolls on.

LaMarcus Aldridge

Aldridge is capable of altering the league's balance of power. More specifically, if he lands with the San Antonio Spurs, their oft-discussed closing championship window will be pushed wide open again with the talented 29-year-old power forward and Kawhi Leonard leading the charge.

The longtime member of the Portland Trail Blazers has long been linked with a move to San Antonio, where he could team with and then replace Tim Duncan. David Aldridge of NBA.com explained the outlook after the two sides met:

It's not a done deal, though. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports noted the Phoenix Suns were able to at least give Aldridge some things to think about during their presentation, which brought them firmly into the picture as a contender.

The Spurs still seem like the best fit, both in the short and long term, and have made moves like trading Tiago Splitter to create the necessary room. San Antonio hasn't usually been a major player in free agency during its sustained success, but it's gone all-in here to land the game-changing forward.

Wesley Matthews

Like Aldridge, Matthews is considering his options as he weighs a potential exit from Portland. The veteran swingman averages better than 14 points for his career and is a major weapon from behind the arc, shooting 39 percent over six seasons.

Along with his outside shooting, the 28-year-old Marquette product is also an extremely reliable perimeter defender. Players with those two qualities are in high demand given the recent success of the Spurs and Golden State Warriors.

Tim MacMahon of ESPN reports the Dallas Mavericks are viewed among the top contenders for Matthews, along with the Toronto Raptors and Sacramento Kings. They might decide to opt out of the process if the price tag doesn't drop, though:

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However, sources say that the Mavs are extremely reluctant to meet Matthews' price considering the frightening history of players who came back from torn Achilles tendons. The Mavs would want to sign Matthews to a deal with salaries in the $10-12 million range, according to sources.

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If not the Mavs, the Raptors make a lot of sense for Matthews. They could use another perimeter scorer, which would give him a chance to play a prominent role. And, as Toronto showed last season, it doesn't take nearly as much to become a top-four team in the East.

DeAndre Jordan

Jordan not only bolstered his own stock over the past few years, but he really helped all offensively limited post players. He proved it's possible to make a major impact mostly through defense and rebounding, averaging 11.5 points, 15.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks last season.

In turn, he's developed into a crucial piece of the puzzle for a Los Angeles Clippers group that's seemingly close to a championship breakthrough. They are one of two teams hot on the trail of the center, per Arash Markazi of ESPN:

As for the Lakers, their chances apparently took a hit during that meeting late on Wednesday. Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported Jordan walked away from the conversation feeling LA's other team was "somewhat underwhelming" with their presentation.

Jordan knows the Clippers are in a good spot if he returns, particularly after ESPN reported an agreement was in place with veteran forward Paul Pierce. So it's up to the Mavericks, or any potential sleeper teams, to make a strong final pitch to lure him away.