Spurs Want to Trade LaMarcus Aldridge For a Top-10 Pick, Clearing the Way For Chris Paul and Maybe a Friend Down the Road

The San Antonio Spurs are reportedly trying to trade LaMarcus Aldridge for a top-10 pick in tonight’s NBA Draft according to ESPN. Aldridge has two years left on his 4-year, $84 million contract and the last year will be a player option.

Aldridge, who turns 32 next month, was one of the biggest signings of the 2015 offseason. He had made four straight All-Star games and he was supposed to be the player who would take the torch from Tim Duncan as the anchor of the Spurs. Aldridge was supposed to solidify the Spurs as one of the best teams in the NBA, but the team came up short in his first two seasons in San Antonio.

The Spurs lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the 2016 playoffs with Aldridge averaging 26.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. This season the Spurs were swept by the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals after Kawhi Leonard was lost to an ankle injury. Aldridge averaged just 16.5 points and 7.4 rebounds and shot 46 percent from the floor in the playoffs. Aldridge’s play was criticized by Gregg Popovich during the Warriors series as he just kind of disappeared when Leonard went down.

Apparently that was enough for the Spurs, who must want to surround Leonard (26 next week) with some younger teammates.Manu Ginobili will be 40 if he returns. Tony Parker seems like an ancient 35 and the team is trying to move Danny Green to make room for Chris Paul.

CP3 is 32, but averaged 25.3 points, 9.9 assists and 5 rebounds in the Clippers’ first round loss to the Utah Jazz. Could Paul, Leonard, Pau Gasol and a lottery pick get past the Warriors next season? Probably not, but the Spurs will have a lot of cap room next summer when one or two of Chris Paul’s disgruntled friends hit free agency.