LA Lakers Rumors: LaMarcus Aldridge Wants To Join Lakers, Meeting Set
Recent rumors surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers give the team a good chance at landing LaMarcus Aldridge. News that Aldridge is leaning toward signing with the Lakers has taken social media by storm. A report from Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times confirms that the team might have a shot at the best power forward available in free agency. When asked about Aldridge having ties to Texas and possibly house shopping in San Antonio, he stated that Paul George was looking for houses in Los Angeles before signing with the Indiana Pacers.
These LA Lakers rumors follow an earlier report that LaMarcus Aldridge had already scheduled a meeting with the team for the minute after free agency opens. That meeting is set for 9:01 p.m. PT on Tuesday night (June 30). This could potentially be great news for Lakers fans, as they have had to go through some rough years recently. It could be equally frustrating for Portland Trail Blazers fans, as it might mean that Aldridge stays on the west coast for years to come.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Aldridge had already informed the Blazers that he wouldn’t be returning, leaving Portland very short on players this offseason. It immediately kickstarted rumors that he was heading to Texas, with the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs reportedly very interested in signing him. The Lakers have been lurking this whole time, though, and have the cap space to easily offer Aldridge a max deal. Teaming up with Kobe Bryant, Julius Randle, and D’Angelo Russell might be very tempting.
With teams like the Spurs and Mavericks ready to make their pitches soon after the Lakers do, it would be surprising to see Aldridge remain a free agent for too long. All three teams need to spend money wisely during the NBA offseason, and none can afford to wait around while the All-Star power forward makes up his mind. Kobe Bryant will make his pitch, Tim Duncan will likely do the same, and it is expected that Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is ready to give his speech. The only question that remains is which free agent will be the first to sign and start the domino-effect this time around.
With less than 24 hours remaining until NBA free agency is open, there are undoubtedly going to be more LA Lakers rumors about players looking to join Bryant in the purple and gold. Separating the fact from the fiction is also going to be difficult, but Lakers fans should be excited that the team is very close to being relevant again.
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