NBA Trade Rumors: DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge Seen as Deadline Targets
The San Antonio Spurs are sixth in the Western Conference at 16-12, but that may not stop them from being a seller at the NBA trade deadline.
The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears reported Thursday on The Jump both DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge could be on the block:
Several big names have already changed teams this season, including James Harden heading to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a blockbuster four-team deal and Derrick Rose returning to the New York Knicks from the Detroit Pistons.
DeRozan and Aldridge are both unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, and San Antonio's position in the standings belies how a few lean years may be required for the franchise to be a title contender again. The Spurs don't have another David Robinson, Tim Duncan or Kawhi Leonard-type of foundational star on their roster.
When it comes to DeRozan and Aldridge, re-signing one or both of the pair may not be a great use of the team's resources, so they are natural trade candidates.
DeRozan in particular might yield something of value. The 31-year-old is averaging 19.8 points and a career-high 6.9 assists. His 33.3 percent clip from beyond the arc is also the second-best of his career.
Dejounte Murray argued DeRozan was worthy of an All-Star spot:
A contender looking for scoring and playmaking on the wing would surely consider adding DeRozan before March 25.
Aldridge, on the other hand, might be a tougher sell. He's knocking down 3.7 threes per game, but his scoring average (13.9 points) is the second-lowest of his career.
To the extent on-off splits mean anything, it's probably not a good sign the Spurs are better with Aldridge on the bench (2.9 net rating) compared to when he's on the court (minus-6.0 net rating), per NBA.com. Head coach Gregg Popovich bumped the 35-year-old down to the second unit for Wednesday's 102-99 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Finding a suitor for Aldridge might be tricky, even if the Spurs are determined to move him.
