Can Raptors Recruit LaMarcus Aldridge?

[ebrian]

Adding a superstar to a team that's not very good will make them good. Relative to the conference, you become contenders. A weak conference + a really good player on a good team can go far. It's why Carmelo, LeBron and Bosh aren't even considering going to the West.

Contenders for what?

[Axel]

I guess it comes down to whether making the Finals and hoping for a miracle is the same as being a legit championship contender but have to dog fight it out of the west.

[ebrian]

If LMA is going to PHX might as well stayed in Portland

Yea, because Lillard is the same as Bledsoe + Knight + Chandler. Gotcha.

[grindhouse]

Phoenix probably show some basketball metric stuff. Spurs can give him a champion next year.


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[McRealistic]

Yea, because Lillard is the same as Bledsoe + Knight + Chandler. Gotcha.

He may not be but Bledsoe+Knight+ Chandler is not enough for LMA to get to NBA finals in the West.

[ebrian]

I guess it comes down to whether making the Finals and hoping for a miracle is the same as being a legit championship contender but have to dog fight it out of the west.

I think that's exactly it. I keep seeing people say he should choose Toronto because it's an easier path to the Finals. It's not an easier path, because the team you are choosing is one of the big reasons that the East is an easy path in the first place.

There are only 2 easy paths to get to the NBA finals, that's joining either Cleveland or Golden State.

[grindhouse]

I mean what can the raptors really say come join our team where our guys don't show up in the playoffs?


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[MACK11]

Bit off topic but i dont understand the faried hupe. He is an elite offensive rounbounder because of hos high motor but does he have any other offensive skills? I dont watch denver like ever so i dont really know. Does he play good defense? Ive always thought he just plays really hard to make up for his lack of skills but i honestly dont know much about him.

There's terrible at everything except offensive rebounding.

[tDotted]

Contenders for what?

Championship...?

Yea, because Lillard is the same as Bledsoe + Knight + Chandler. Gotcha.

POR had one of the best starting 5's in basketball but couldn't get past the second round. They were better than what PHX has right now..

[JimiCliff]

Sources: Free agent LaMarcus Aldridge is working to narrow his list of choices to two or three teams today. No final decision is imminent.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 3, 2015

The dream ain't dead!

[ebrian]

Championship...?

POR had one of the best starting 5's in basketball but couldn't get past the second round. They were better than what PHX has right now..

In order to be a championship contender, you actually have to be able to make it to the finals. We lost 4-0 to the Wizards. 4-0. Of the 8-10 playoff contending teams in the East, yes the "easy path" East, we are literally the furthest away from making the Finals. Now you think this team plus Carroll, Wright and LMA, minus Amir, equals Championship quality? That's ridiculous and deep down you know this.

There isn't a chance in hell that LMA thinks the Raptors are a better option than any of those Western Conference teams. At best he views us as an up-and-coming team. If he had been 25, he'd probably strongly consider signing here, but at 29 in prime? Not a chance.

And where are you getting this "POR had one of the best starting 5's in basketball"? This statement might be true:

POR had one of the 16 best starting 5's in basketball.

[DanH]

If he picks the Spurs, that sucks. But to me, besides the Raptors (who are obviously frontrunners, obviously), the top competitors to the Spurs in terms of basketball attractiveness (something LMA quoted as being important re: his bad meeting with LAL) are Houston and Miami. Both teams would need to either clear space (HOU) or participate in a SnT (MIA). So I've come up with possibilities for the Raptors to step in and poach some talent with their excess picks and cap room. To follow shortly...

[stooley]

why would the heat sign aldridge if it means giving up bosh?

they're very, very similar in terms of impact

[DanH]

First, Houston.

First they will waive Papa and Prigioni (only 440k guaranteed between them) - that saves 5.1 million. Then if they want to move Jones and Ariza, we can deal them Ridnour for Jones and absorb Ariza (barely). They waive Ridnour. That saves them 10.7M. That drops them from 64.5M committed to 49.7M (with the additional roster slot holds). That means being able to offer a 19.4M starting salary to LMA, quite close to his max. If they find a taker for Dorsey (sending a second to Philly or something would do it) they'd be there. That's as good as they can do I think. I imagine we'd be sending them a couple first rounders. Anything but the Knicks pick.

After that deal we'd have a team of:

KL/DW
DD/TR
DC/TA
TJ/PP
JV/LN

Plus Bruno, Powell, DeAndre Daniels, sign a vet PG and vet C (Hayes?) and we are set.

[DanH]

why would the heat sign aldridge if it means giving up bosh?

they're very, very similar in terms of impact

Younger. But the Heat reached out. And there is no way for them to get Aldridge without losing Bosh. So clearly they would make that swap if they could.

Otherwise, why would they meet with him at all?