[ESPN] Sources: Aldridge to start free agency with Lakers, Rockets

Doc was right many times, but I am not sure for this time.

 

Why in the f*** is our camp so quiet? The silence is deafening right now.

Anyone know?

 

If the Spurs get LMA

Parker
Green
Leonard
Aldridge
Duncan?

That would be a really good starting 5.


I'm still hoping that he chooses to go somewhere else!

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mark Cuban's gonna go into the Mavs' meeting with Aldridge and just spend an hour trying to convince him to sign with the Lakers.</p>&mdash; Tim Cato (@tim_cato) <a href="https://twitter.com/tim_cato/status/616272467653455872">July 1, 2015</a></blockquote>
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I'm not going to overrate the spurs (although I prob should) if they do land LMA which seems likely I still think Duncan and company are just finally too old. Parker was not the same last year and looks like he's added some unwanted weight and bigs do age well but c'mon Duncan is dinosaur age in basketball years.

I just think it happens in every sport it's hard to see the old juggernaut fall but it does happen to everyone eventually. The new era belongs to harden curry and KD IMO. If your not playing with one of them your not going to win a chip. Lebron and his monopoly has the east sewed up for years to come no point in trying to compete with them out east. The spurs will fall signing LMA if they get him is a big move but he's no Duncan he's never been an all NBA defensive guy and that won't magically happen playing for the spurs.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Not hearing much. Best I can tell, they went in as longshots (as they knew) and came out as longshots. <a href="https://t.co/i0Ryed3xKN">https://t.co/i0Ryed3xKN</a></p>&mdash; Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/616291340842876928">July 1, 2015</a></blockquote>
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They've always been the front runners in the Aldridge sweepstakes.

 

It'll matter in the playoffs when they probably have to go through Gasol or Howard(and Capela). And if the Kings ever get their sh-t together or trade Cousins to a Western Conference team that already does, there's another dominant big man to worry about.

 

LAL well on their way to being a TOP 5 TEAM lol

 

I agree. Also, we don't know where LMA is going to go yet so it is just speculation.

Even if they did get LMA, I wouldn't put them as the favorites. The Western Conference is just too deep.

But having Green, Leonard and Aldridge for the next 4 years would be a great start for for them to build around and for the post-Duncan era.

 

Doc was telling you what his source in San Antonio was telling him. That's all. You shouldn't judge Doc based on him telling you what a source told him. You have to consider all factors when ciphering insider information.

Just like cyberx comments about Aldridge and the Lakers. He wasn't lying to you. But he's getting it from the Lakers side of the table. They're gonna dress it up to make them look good.


My source has pegged LaMarcus to the Spurs for months. And they've never come off it. They are on the player/agent side of the table. Not LaMarcus' agent mind you but they are connected to an agent. They told me before the draft that LaMarcus to the Spurs was practically a given. Same source told me that Dwight being traded to Houston in 2012 was agreed to. That was literally minutes/hours before Dwight signed away his opt-out on a plane. Now that particular source in the finality was wrong. But his info was accurate up to the point that Dwight signed away his option. He was literally minutes away from being traded here.

Now, that same source has given me erroneous info too though. Info he heard from other agents and front office personnel. Some of it I knew automatically was false. I knew it didn't add up. Still some of the rest of it I thought was probably accurate but it didn't turn out. Something else happened after they gave me the tip. Or....they were intentionally misled themselves.


Believe me, front offices (and agents and players) like to mislead the public. I always laugh at Morey talking about how stupid and silly rumors are that get out and wondering where they come from like he don't know. Front offices, agents, and players put out the vast majority of misinformation that is out there to throw off the public and their competitors from their true intentions. You gotta understand that.

Doc's given you insider info from a certain perspective. Insider info isn't gold. Insider info is simply clues, some of them good and some of them bad. You gotta run everything through the right filter.


Here's another example. I heard from a contact connected to the Rockets that they wanted LaMarcus badly but it had to be sign-and-trade. They didn't understand why. But I did. It's because a sign-and-trade locks LaMarcus in for 3 seasons, through next season when he can get a $30 million starting salary. Rockets don't want to pay LaMarcus $30 million next summer and lose their flexibility to chase Kevin Durant.

Nothing that has happened today has shocked me. Spurs clearing space?? I expected it. They're gonna sign LaMarcus outright. The real question is how much are they going to get LaMarcus to give up to go there? Will he surrender $10 million next summer and sign for 2+1? Or will he forego the huge salary increase and sign a 4-year deal? Or will they agree to give him 1+1 and re-up him next year at $30+ million starting salary?

Now could something come up between now and say Friday that would change all that?? Why sure it could. But right now...all signs are pointing to LMA to the Spurs in an outright signing and it's been that way for a while.

 

In the west...not overall.

And that's contingent on signing LMA...because then they'd nab 2 max players before the 2016-17 season.

 

It's over... you don't trade Tiago Splitter for nothing, immediately creating a position of need without knowing you can fill that position with someone better. LMA to SA is a done deal. And love ain't coming here either.

 

Yea I just went over to basketball reference to check out Duncan's splits between PF/C, and I had no idea he played that much Center throughout his career. Basically the last 8 years, with the exclusion of last year. Well hopefully if they do get Aldridge, we are able to take advantage of Duncan at Center with our athletic bigs.

 

Uh remember us and Bosh?

 

I disagree. Maybe the Spurs are feeling very confident, but I am quite sure LMA hasn't made his decision yet.

 

That's not a good analogy.

Bosh HAD agreed to Houston and then Miami upped their offer to the full max.

That can't happen in this situation. Portland is offering him the full max, or whatever contract he wants. There is no last minute offer from Houston that will get him to spurn San Antonio.

I say it's 70/20/10...70 San Antonio, 20 he stays in Portland at the last minute and 10 that he picks Houston.

 

1. Aldridge isnt going to go back to Portland though.

2. And Bosh was offered a bigger contract than Houston can give him.

3. The Spurs are usually a little bit more conservative in their approach than the Rockets are...so they are less likely to make prior moves just for the sake of "we need to clear cap space IF we need max contract money".

 

I guess it IS possible that San Antonio just wanted to clear Splitter's salary for some reason anyway, but I doubt it.

 

Bosh was reportedly about 95% of a lock to sign here. And the big difference there is that Bosh was happy in Miami. He wanted to stay there and didn't give a crap about rings anymore. All it took was Riley foolishly offering a max deal.

Aldridge on the other hand wants a championship which has eluded him thus far in his career. Hell, he's only been to the 2nd round once. Plus he's all but gone from Portland. There's no way he's going back even for max money. So the Spurs know it's down to them, the Lakers, Mavs, and maybe Rockets. I'd be pretty confident if I were them.