Lakers Signing LaMarcus Aldridge Makes Sense For All

So last Wednesday night the Portland Trailblazers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Memphis Grizzlies, meaning the clock is now ticking with respect to LaMarcus Aldridge’s free agency.

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A year ago, it was widely assumed that Aldridge was a lock to resign with the Blazers on a new max deal. But, somewhat surprisingly, more and more reports have been leaking out over the past few weeks indicating that there is a legitimate chance that Aldridge may sign elsewhere this offseason. The potential suitors include the Knicks, Spurs, Mavericks and, you guessed, the Lakers.

So with these reports in mind, let’s look at why Aldridge signing with the Lakers makes sense for both sides.

Why It Makes Sense For The Lakers

It is the worst kept secret that the Lakers desperately need an infusion of talent on their roster given these past two disastrous seasons. So bringing on Aldridge on a max deal, in my mind, is a clear no brainer.

Our own Anthony F. Irwin broke down how incredibly skilled Aldridge is for a big man from an offensive standpoint. Further, while offense is his true calling card, Aldridge is also a more than adequate defender and rebounder.

So again, in terms of giving max money to Aldridge, who is only 29 years old and has a game that will age well, this should be a no brainer from the Lakers perspective. Could he be a true no. 1 option on a championship team? Probably not. But has he already shown that he could definitely be a Pau Gasol esque no. 2 option? I certainly think so.

Indeed, the only other free agent who should be higher on the Lakers priority list this offseason is Marc Gasol (obviously, Lebron James would be the true number 1 if he opts out). But unlike Aldridge, there has been essentially no reports that Gasol is even considering signing elsewhere. And I’m sorry, but in no reality would Kevin Love be a better pickup than Aldridge.

Plus, signing Aldridge to max money this offseason will look like a bargain when the salary cap makes the estimated jump to approximately $89 million in 2016 and $108 million in 2017. In other words, signing Aldridge to a max deal this summer should not prevent the Lakers from bringing in top free agents in both of those offseasons.

Now, the only legitimate argument that has been made against signing Aldridge is that he plays the same position as Julius Randle. While Aldridge could arguably play center in today’s NBA, he has made it clear that he prefers the 4 spot. The main problem with this argument, however, is that it assumes that Randle is a starting caliber 4 right now.

What evidence do we have of that? Sure, he looked good in the summer league and preseason, but we have yet to see Randle play meaningful minutes in NBA games that matter.

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Don’t get me wrong, I am a big believer in Randle’s ability and potential, and think he could certainly develop into a starting caliber 4 on a championship team. But my point is it is way too early to make that determination.

So, what would seem to make the most sense if the Lakers signed Aldridge would be to have Randle play off the bench in a Lamar Odom style sixth man role. This way he can ease into the league playing a reasonable number of minutes and go against other team’s second units. Remember, Randle is only 20 years old and next year will essentially be his rookie season.

Why It Makes Sense For Aldridge

This is the more difficult argument given that the Blazers roster is clearly more talented than the Lakers right now. But there are a couple of reasons why it might make sense.

First, the financial incentive for Aldridge to resign with the Blazers isn’t as great as it may appear. Aldridge is eligible for a 5 year max deal starting at 30% of the projected $67.1 million salary cap, i.e. at $20,130,000. With raises at 7.5%, Aldridge would make approximately $21,639,750, $23,262,731, $25,007,436, and $26,882,993 in years 2-5 of the deal.

Conversely, if Aldridge signed a 3 year max deal with the Lakers, with a player option after year 2, he would be guaranteed to make $63,147, 313. But more importantly, if he opted out after year 2, he could resign with the Lakers at a new max deal starting at 35% of the projected $89 million salary cap, i.e. at $31,150,000. With raises at 4.5%, he would make $32,551750, $34,016,578, and $35,547,324 in years 2-4 of the deal. Or he could play out the 3 years with the Lakers and then sign a new new max deal starting at 35% of the projected $108 million salary cap, i.e. $37,800,000.

So, long story short, the financial advantage that teams have with respect to resigning their own players (e.g. being able to offer 5 year deals with 7.5% raises) just isn’t as powerful as it used to be given the projected huge jumps in the salary cap.

Second, while many reports indicate that Texas is home for Aldridge, he is known to spend parts of his offseasons in Newport Beach, California, and my younger brother has seen Aldridge with his girlfriend, mom and sister on multiple occasions in Irvine (a city next to Newport) during different offseasons.

Lastly, and the strongest argument in my opinion, is Aldridge’s brand would sky rocket with the Lakers. It is simply indisputable that Aldridge would get greater exposure and endorsements while playing for the Lakers than he would with the Blazers, Spurs or Mavericks. This is especially true because he would clearly be the best player on the Lakers and, assuming Kobe Bryant retires after next season, would quickly become the face of the franchise.

Indeed, don’t think that Aldridge hasn’t noticed Damian Lillard’s ascension to face of the franchise for the Blazers. And unlike Bryant, Lillard will likely be on the Blazers for the foreseeable future.

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In sum, Aldridge signing with the Lakers certainly seems to make sense for both sides. Only time will tell how likely a possibility it is, and whether it will actually happen.

In other words, free agency cannot get here soon enough.