Coach pop, Duncan, Leonard. These are likely the three main reasons. SA definitely has a chance to win it all next year if they can get Aldridge. Don't undersell the franchise. Plus, couldn't aldridge sign a 1 +1 deal? It's not like he has lock himself up for years and years.
Considering everyone on this board thinks good players will play for the minimum to fill out a roster around stars in Houston, they'll sure as hell do it in San Antonio. Manu and Duncan will probably take paycuts to make it all work and they will probably get a veteran center off the scrap heap to take minutes. The unselfishness and the passing abilities of all of their players makes it very easy to fill out a roster.
The Lakers are a relic of the past and they still carry themselves as if they are the same dominant force of the past. The Spurs were always going to be good. Kawhi was always going to stay, Pop, Duncan, and Manu were always going to give it another run, and Parker is due for a bounceback year. If anything this deal for LMA actually might hurt them in the short term as they have to make huge adjustments... so the Rockets might get the benefit of some easier early season wins against them. Later in the season... they will be legit of course but they always were going to be. I think SOMEONE eventually will take a chance on the Lakers as a free agent, and you might see the Lakers outbid the Knicks for Monroe and maybe they are also able to grab someone like Tobias Harris if they can convince both to take smaller deals. But this idea of the Lakers are banking on multiple superstars without giving up their top prospects in trades... they are going to be dead wrong.
Because the Spurs won one less regular season game than the Rockets last year and they're only a year removed from B2B trips to the Finals and one title(and an defensive rebound or made free throw away from 2). Honestly, if they can keep Green and restock that bench(we'll see if that's possibly) and only lose Splitter in the process of signing Aldridge, that's a pretty damn good pitch by San Antonio. I always assumed Green was a goner which would've made it a marginally tougher sell. But I would also reiterate that this does not make the Spurs a shoo-in for the Finals next year. That's still a very old team they've got, Duncan at center for an entire year is risky, and a much weaker bench will mean potentially heavier minutes for those old guys.
I'd rather he go to the Spurs than LA. I at least respect that franchise and if we can improve our roster, maybe we can really rekindle that rivalry.
Well, Morey, it just might be on to Plan B. Maybe. Kevin Love? Maybe. Or do we just re-sign the players we have, add Llull, then Morey makes deals during the season? Godd***it, Spurs, why won't you die?
I'm with BimaThug, if I'm the Rockets right now I'm already seeing what I can poach from San Antonio. Patty Mills for Pablo Prigioni's contract?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lakers didn't make strong impression in Aldridge meeting, sources say. Spurs can close on him. LMA expected to make decision fairly soon.</p>— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/616275904252096512">July 1, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I think the Miami and Portland scenarios are two separate matters. I just can't see Portland panic offering the max to LMA and I don't think he is totally in love with Portland. On the other hand, Bosh loved the Miami lifestyle and was offered a shed load of money to stay where he and his family is happy. Totally different case IMO
[Wojnarowski] Lakers didn't make strong impression in Aldridge meeting, sources say. Spurs can close on him. LMA expected to make decision fairly soon.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lakers didn't make strong impression in Aldridge meeting, sources say. Spurs can close on him. LMA expected to make decision fairly soon.</p>— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/616275904252096512">July 1, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Read above, the space is there and just depends on the timing of the contracts being signed. The bigger concern is the tax and how much of a hit ownership wants to absorb if they do in fact get LMA.
