Getty LaMarcus Aldridge gets a piece of a pass from Andre Drummond as Jeff Green defends during a game beween the Nets and Lakers at Barclays Center on April 10, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
As expected, the Nets’ offseason to this point has been somewhat underwhelming. Three max contracts on the roster — those of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving — forbid Brooklyn from making the type of big splash that other NBA teams are making at this time of the year.
But unexpectedly, a big-name free agent might be back on the Nets’ radar.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that LaMarcus Aldridge is seriously considering a return to the NBA for the 2021-22 season. Aldridge, a seven-time All-Star, signed with the Nets in March only to abruptly announce his retirement in mid-April after experiencing an irregular heartbeat. The 36-year-old had been bought out by the San Antonio Spurs, allowing him to join a title contender in the Nets.
“Aldridge is expected to have conversations with prospective teams in the coming weeks, sources said, and still ultimately needs an individual organization’s medical clearance to sign a contract,” Woj wrote in a story for ESPN on Wednesday. “Nevertheless, Aldridge, 36, has yet to make a final decision on playing again.”
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Aldridge Gushed About His Experience With Nets
After having his contract bought out by the Spurs, Aldridge was free to sign with any team.
For the 6-foot-11 forward, the Nets were an easy choice, as he explained in an interview with Shams Charania of The Athletic.
“I chose them because it was an opportunity for me to do what I do and not have to tweak or change anything,” Aldridge told Charania. “They wanted a guy to be able to open the floor for James and Kevin and Kyrie (Irving), and that’s who I am. I can also guard the bigger guys on the floor. When it’s fourth quarter, last five minutes, and they have a dominant big on the other side, you can have me in the game and still keep scoring and not have to sacrifice scoring to be able to guard a bigger big.”
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Aldridge Would Have His Chance to Chase a Title in Brooklyn
In addition to being a seven-time All-Star, Aldridge has a long list of accolades to his name, including two All-NBA Second Team nods and earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors in 2007.
Still, an NBA championship has eluded him. Forgoing the chance to chase a title this past season was the most difficult part of leaving the Nets, Aldridge explained to Charania.
That was the hardest part. Being in a position to get to the Finals and have an opportunity to be on that stage and be a part of history and make my mark. I had never been to the Finals. I’ve been to the West Conference finals, but not the actual NBA Finals. So it was a chance for me to make that next step, a chance for me to add to my legacy and see what it feels like. I’ve always prided myself on embracing moments and trying to grow and learn from every moment. I wanted to get there and see what it’s like, help those guys win and be a part of the journey. And then if we got there, hopefully we would go back two or three more times. So that was definitely the hardest part for me.
A return to Brooklyn would give Aldridge a chance for the happy ending he’s been chasing.
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