Creating the Big 3 has made the Nets the top destination in the buyout market. First it was Blake Griffin. And Saturday it was LaMarcus Aldridge.
While traditional center Andre Drummond is still out there talking with the Lakers, the Celtics and possibly the Knicks, Nets general manager Sean Marks wasted no time in swooping in and adding Aldridge, an aging perennial All-Star with whom he shared history in San Antonio.
The move was first reported by The Athletic, and confirmed by the Post.
“I’m not going to comment on any players,” Nets coach Steve Nash said when asked about Aldridge on Friday. “That’s for the front office, anyone who’s not on our roster. So I’ll leave that for Sean and his group to discuss.”
Aldridge could conceivably challenge DeAndre Jordan for the starting center spot.
Granted, the 35-year-old’s Aldridge’s defense has become something of a weakness the past few seasons, and he was bought out by the Spurs. But he overlapped with Marks, who was San Antonio’s assistant GM in 2015, when they signed the big man to a four-year, $80 million deal.
Aldridge won’t make that with the Nets, and shouldn’t be viewed as having the same potential. But after the Nets signed Griffin before the buyout market even started, the signing of Aldridge is just the latest example of their drawing power and ability to lure accomplished veterans serious about competing for a title.
LaMarcus Aldridge AP“The buyout market, that is one of the reasons we want to remain flexible in my eyes to see how we can improve our team,” Nash said. “Maybe there are some teams that are set. But for us — especially with the roster changed after the big trade — we have to remain flexible in order to keep our options open.”
During Marks and Aldridge’s first season together in San Antonio, Marks left to take over a Nets team that was bereft of first-round draft picks and stuck in the NBA’s most dire situation. But five years later, Marks pulled off a January trade for James Harden that has in turn let the Nets pull in bought-out veterans.
Griffin is a six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA player. Aldridge is a seven-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA player.
Aldridge’s last All-Star campaign came two years ago, when he averaged 21.3 points and 9.2 rebounds. This season, he was mustering just 13.7 points and 4.5 boards, shooting .464 overall and .360 from 3-point range. He hadn’t played since an 0-for-3 shooting, two-point effort against the Nets on March 1.
With the rebuilding Spurs clearly heading in another direction, the team and Aldridge agreed on March 10 that they would separate, and a buyout was reached.
Marks’ Nets on the other hand, have pushed all their chips to the middle of the table gunning for a championship behind Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
The 6-foot-11, 250-pound Aldridge should see significant minutes at center, vying with Jordan and young Nic Claxton. He also affords the flexibility, when needed, to back up Durant at power forward, along with Griffin and Jeff Green.
A Nets front court that at the beginning of the season was viewed as an Achilles’ heel has been transformed into a deep unit. And the Nets may not even be done.
They can create a roster spot by parting ways with 10-day signee Alize Johnson. They’ve also kept not only their taxpayer mid-level exception, but also their disabled player exception by not dealing Spencer Dinwiddie at Thursday’s trade deadline.
There are veteran backcourt options such as Avery Bradley and Jeff Teague, or younger recently waived guards like Jalen Lecque. They could have interest in sweet-shooting 6-8 wing Otto Porter Jr., if he’s bought out by the Magic. When Porter was a 2017 restricted free agent, Marks inked him to a four-year, $106.5 max offer sheet that eventually got matched by the Wizards.
