NBA Trade Rumors: LaMarcus Aldridge Could He Be On His Way Out of San Antonio Spurs?

By Eileen Smith - 20 Oct '16 23:20PM

Could this really be happening? Is LaMarcus Aldridge leaving San Antonio Spur? What's next for him after this?

If the rumors are true, the San Antonio Spurs have agreed to trade LaMarcus Aldridge. The Power Forward will be leaving the five time NBA champions before the season ends.

According to Yahoo News, Aldridge, who signed with San Antonio as a free agent in the summer of 2015, averaged 18.0 points on a career-high 51 percent shooting, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists last season, his first with the Spurs. He has two years left on his current deal, with a $22 million player option for the final year.

It appeared that the experiment with Aldridge has not worked as well as they hoped. According to the Bleacher Report, ESPN.com's Zach Lowe suggested that the Spurs could trade Aldridge to other teams if he doesn't perform as expected. Zach Lowe said, "The Spurs will see if this team outperforms expectations. If it doesn't, they should take calls on Aldridge."

Aldrigde's rumored impending departure follows a recent trend in which some aging players have left the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs lost Tim Duncan to retirement and traded away Boris Diaw. However, they signed 36-year-old Pau Gasol during the offseason. LaMarcus Aldridge is 31, and is one of the older Spurs players alongside Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

As younger players like Kawhi Leonard step up their game in the team, hopes of making Aldridge the star of the defense as planned has dimmed. Had Leonard played power forward and Aldridge positioned at center, the Spurs allowed what would have been an NBA worst 111.3 points per 100 possessions.

Some people have suggested that pairing Aldridge with Pau Gasol would help alleviate some concerns. However, that is doubtful as Gasol's former team; the Chicago Bulls posted a discouraging defensive rating of 103.5 with him last season.

With his contract due to end in 2018/2019 season, Spurs are in sound position to trade the five-time NBA all-star. As for the rumors, everything should be taken with a grain of salt in mind.