NBA Rumors: LaMarcus Aldridge Could Be Traded To Warriors For No. 2 Pick, Per ‘Sports Illustrated’
After finishing the 2019-20 NBA season as one of the worst teams in the league, the Golden State Warriors have won the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Though they haven’t completely ruled out the possibility of selecting a talented prospect in the upcoming draft, most people think that the Warriors will use their lottery selection as the main trade chip to acquire a quality veteran that would complement their core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green next year. One of the players that Golden State could target on the trade market this offseason is LaMarcus Aldridge of the San Antonio Spurs.
According to Emma Steinberg of Sports Illustrated, the Warriors could explore sending a trade package centered on the No. 2 pick to the Spurs to acquire Aldridge this offseason.
“The Warriors have a lot of youth in the post, but perhaps a veteran with great court vision to match that of Bogut is what they need. Aldridge is just that. The 35-year-old veteran would be the perfect addition to the Golden State roster. He is a huge force in the paint, often converting points off of tip-ins or kicking out rebounds to the perimeter for an open look. Combine his ability to finish and see the open player with Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green’s offense and the Warriors could easily be a high-tier Western Conference threat to the Lakers next season.”
With most of the centers on their roster inexperienced and not starting caliber, trading for Aldridge would make a lot of sense for the Warriors. Though he’s already in the twilight of his career, Aldridge could still help the Warriors improve their performance on both ends of the floor, giving them a reliable scoring option, incredible rebounder, facilitator, quality rim protector, and floor-spacer.
This season, Aldridge averaged 18.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 blocks while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN. Having Aldridge on their roster would enable the Warriors to have a better matchup against teams with dominant big men like Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. If he meshes well with Curry, Thompson, and Green, the Warriors would undoubtedly have a better chance of reclaiming the championship title and reviving their dynasty next year.
The proposed scenario would also be beneficial for the Spurs. Instead of taking the risk of losing Aldridge in the summer of 2021 without getting anything in return, they would be turning his expiring contract into a lottery selection. They could use the No. 2 pick to give Dejounte Murray a new backcourt partner by selecting LaMelo Ball or Carsen Edwards or utilize it to find a younger replacement for Aldridge like James Wiseman.
