The Dallas Mavericks are reportedly emerging as the ‘biggest threat’ to the Portland Trail Blazers to lure LaMarcus Aldridge away in free agency this summer.
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Aldridge is an unrestricted free agent this summer and speculation continues to suggest that he will consider his options away from Portland with a number of teams interested.
It has been reported that the San Antonio Spurs were likely to be the frontrunners to convince him to leave the Trail Blazers, but now the Mavericks are becoming more and more part of the conversation.
The 29-year-old is rated at 50/50 by an anonymous teammate on whether or not he stays or goes, while he isolated himself during the playoffs by travelling alone during the series with the Memphis Grizzlies.
“Of his potential suitors, league sources indicate that the Mavericks are the biggest threat to pull Aldridge away from the Blazers, but it’s the general idea of returning to Texas, not a specific destination, that appeals to him. Both the Mavericks and Spurs, of course, could have the requisite cap space, reputation of success and location,” Bleacher Report noted.
Portland still hold the advantage given that they can offer more money over a longer deal, but that may not necessarily be enough to persuade Aldridge that his best chance of winning is staying with the organisation.
While he is said to be keen on the idea of returning to Texas, both the Spurs and Mavs raise questions as to whether or not he would be better off staying put.
San Antonio are expected to go through a difficult transitional period over the next year with Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili likely to retire, while the Mavs are still making changes and have an ageing Dirk Nowitzki to consider.
As a result, it remains to be seen what Aldridge decides to do, but on the face of it he might be making a mistake by leaving the Trail Blazers behind.
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