LaMarcus Aldridge Wants to Be Traded to Chicago Bulls
By Josh Hill
The NBA Draft is tonight which means plenty of teams around the NBA will be scrambling for lat minute trade offers to try and land pieces that they think can help them be contenders in 2013-14. One of those teams is the Portland Trailblazers who have been rumored to be shopping LaMarcus Aldridge around the league. From a rumored trade with the Cavaliers to a minor rumor circulating about a swap with the Clippers, the Blazers are clearly trying to see what they can get for Aldridge that will help them build around star guard Damian Lillard.
One of those teams that could trade for him is the Chicago Bulls who have been thrust into the rumor mill more than once in the last week and now find themselves right back in the thick of a rumor that could shake things up.
According to the Daily Herald in Chicago, Aldridge wants out of Portland and the Chicago Bulls are at the top of his wish list.
"Word is, Aldridge wants to escape from Portland’s rebuilding project and has made it known that he’d like to land in Chicago."
The Orgeonian and Blazers beat writer John Canzano backed up this statement made in the Daily Herald and didn’t sound surprised that Aldridge would want out of Portland. That being said, Canzano made sure to mention that the Blazers will not be simply giving Aldridge away and will need to find a deal that blows them away before considering moving on from their star.
"Don’t worry — I don’t think Paul Allen is going to give Aldridge away. He’s been burned too many times before in trades. It would have to be a sweetheart deal, even lopsided, for him to pull the trigger with two years remaining on Aldridge’s contract. The caveat, of course, is the notion that Aldridge may have already told the Blazers he wants out."
It’s interesting that Aldridge would name the Bulls as a landing spot but Chicago may not have what it takes to land him. As Canzano points out, the Blazers want a lot in return for Aldridge and Mike McGraw at the Daily Herald states that Portland wants Joakim Noah as part of a deal — something the Bulls will not consider.
Aldridge is being shopped but this could be to see his value more so than anything. If Portland wants to move him, they’ll likely wait until he has one year left on his deal rather than two and they’ll pull the trigger on a deal that is guarantees the headline is about what they got in return and not what they gave up.