Blazers kept door open for Aldridge until the end
— -- For three seasons, the Portland Trail Blazers have been bracing themselves for the possibility that LaMarcus Aldridge would walk in July 2015, and that potential became reality on Saturday, when Aldridge said on Twitter that he will sign with the San Antonio Spurs.
His deal will be a four-year maximum contract worth more than $80 million, with an opt-out after the third year, a source told ESPN's Marc Stein.
Aldridge had spent his first five NBA seasons in Portland in the shadow of Brandon Roy and it was an open secret that Aldridge's happiness index, even after signing a multi-year extension in October 2009, was lagging relative to other young NBA stars in their respective markets. When Paul Allen lured Neil Olshey away from the Los Angeles Clippers in 2012 to be the Trail Blazers' general manager, Olshey's first item of business was to reverse the previous six and turn Aldridge's frown upside-down.
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