by Marcel Mutoni / @ marcel_mutoni
According to various reports, though he denies them, All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge is looking for a change of scenery.
Unlikely as it may be, word is that Aldridge would like the rebuilding Trail Blazers to trade him; he’s grown too big for Portland (in his own mind.)
Per the Oregonian:
See, Aldridge wants to end his seven-year run with the Blazers because he thinks Portland is too small. Too boring. But general manager Neil Olshey is not in the business to make players happy. He is in the business of making the Blazers better. And if there has been one consistent with Aldridge throughout his seven years in Portland, it’s that he puts up somewhere around 21 points and 8 rebounds a game whether he is happy, unhappy or indifferent to what direction the Blazers are headed.
Still, it is an interesting proposition for Olshey as he embarks on his second summer of reshaping the franchise. Aldridge has two years remaining on his contract in Portland. He has no leverage to demand a trade right now. But he will after this season, when he can enter his final season in Portland with a threat to walk into free agency, leaving the Blazers with nothing in return, except for some salary cap relief.
According to the Daily Herald in Chicago, LaMarcus Aldridge has expressed a desire to play for the Bulls.
Aldridge chose not to renew any of his local sponsorship deals, and is looking to break the lease on his condo. The big man says fans and media should not read too much into any of this, and tried to brush off the appearance that he is looking for a way out of Portland:
“I’m fine. Like I said, it was a tough season, but I’m not trying to jump ship. We will sit down and we will talk about who we are going to bring in, and what things will happen and we will go from there.”
