LaMarcus Aldridge Has Discussed Returning to Trail Blazers with Damian Lillard

Rip City may not have to say R.I.P. to dreams of a reunion between point guard Damian Lillard and forward LaMarcus Aldridge. 

Aldridge left the Portland Trail Blazers for the San Antonio Spurs as a free agent in 2015, but the seven-time All-Star told Jason Quick of The Athletic on Tuesday that he remains in touch with Lillard.

"I keep telling him I'm going to come back and finish [in Portland]," Aldridge said. "That's something him and I have talked about—playing together again."

Aldridge, 33, originally signed a four-year, $84.1 million contract with the Spurs in 2015. He signed a two-year, $50 million extension in October 2017, which will keep him in San Antonio through the 2020-21 season.

Lillard is on the cusp of passing Aldridge as the No. 2 all-time scorer in Trail Blazers history. Quick gave insight into Lillard's mindset ahead of the Blazers' game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night: 

"As early as Tuesday against the Clippers, Lillard can pass LaMarcus Aldridge as the No. 2 scorer in Trail Blazers history. And while Lillard says his eyes are firmly on surpassing Clyde Drexler as the franchise's top scorer, he says eclipsing Aldridge will be special, in large part because of where their relationship has been, and where it is now."

Aldridge and Lillard played together in Portland from 2012 to 2015. The Chicago Bulls selected Aldridge with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft and immediately traded him to Portland. He still holds the Trail Blazers franchise record for total rebounds with 5,434. 

If Aldridge eventually joined the Blazers' core of Lillard, CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic, Portland could become one of the top title contenders out West.