LaMarcus Aldridge will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and although it was believed for much of the season that he’d simply re-sign with the Blazers, there have been recent rumblings that he may seriously consider playing somewhere else.
One anonymous teammate put his odds of returning at no better than 50-50, while another report had the Spurs as a team that could possibly in the mix for his services.
To this point, all of the chatter has come from various unnamed sources. But for those looking to read the tea leaves to see what might truly lie in store, a decision Aldridge recently made might provide some additional clarification.
From Jason Quick of The Oregonian:There is unease about the future of LaMarcus Aldridge, who will become a free agent on July 1. ESPN’s Chris Broussard on Saturday reported that he asked Aldridge if Portland is his No. 1 choice. Broussard said Aldridge smiled and said “We’ll see.’'
And after Game 2 in Memphis, Olshey gave the team the option to stay the night and fly home on the team charter, or return to Portland on their own.
Take it for what it’s worth, but only one player wasn’t on the team charter: Aldridge.
“I didn’t want to stay in that hotel one more night,’' Aldridge said on Saturday. “So I bought my own ticket and flew home.’'
Having stayed in Memphis hotels, I don’t halfway blame Aldridge for wanting to get back to Portland as soon as possible. But it also doesn’t scream brotherhood, or togetherness, either.
It was an odd choice by Aldridge, if only because it was one that isolated him from the rest of his teammates.
This may, of course, mean nothing at all. Or, it could be yet another sign that Aldridge has one foot out the door, and might only have one game left as a member of the Blazers franchise.
