NBA notebook: Aldridge picks Spurs – The Bakersfield Californian
Free agent power forward LaMarcus Aldridge made his decision Saturday and will sign a four-year, maximum contract with the San Antonio Spurs.
Aldridge, who turns 30 on July 19, announced the news on Twitter:
“I’m happy to say I’m going home to Texas and will be a Spur!! I’m excited to join the team and be close to my family and friends.”
Aldridge is from Dallas and played at the University of Texas. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Aldridge’s deal will be a four-year contract worth more than $80 million, with an opt-out after the third year, a source told ESPN’s Marc Stein.
ESPN reported that the pitch Aldridge received Friday in Los Angeles from coach Gregg Popovich made the difference — playing with Tim Duncan in his final days in the NBA and then taking over for him in the Spurs’ frontcourt alongside Kawhi Leonard.
In nine seasons with the Blazers, Aldridge has played in 648 regular-season games and averaged 19.4 points and 8.4 rebounds. In 2014-15, he averaged a career-best 23.4 points per game and 10.2 rebounds.
—Free agent center DeAndre Jordan agreed to a four-year contract with the Dallas Mavericks worth more than $80 million and is expected to get his wish of becoming a focal point on offense.
Jordan, a defensive force and one of the top rebounders in the NBA, was not an offensive threat for the Los Angeles Clippers beyond slamming lob passes from point guard Chris Paul and expressed his desire to be used in a different role.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said Saturday that the team told Jordan he will be used in new ways in Dallas.
“We see him as ‘Shaq-like’ but never having been given the opportunity,” Cuban told 1310 The Ticket. “We told him if he came to the Mavs, he would be a focal point. He would grow into being a franchise player.”
The contract includes a player option after the third season to allow Jordan to return to free agency in July 2018, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Jordan led the league in rebounding the last two seasons and in field-goal percentage the last three seasons. Last season, he averaged 11.5 points and 15 rebounds in 82 games.
Free agent guard Wesley Matthews agreed to sign with the Mavericks on a multi-year deal, according to reports.
—Forward Tobias Harris agreed to a four-year, $64 million deal to stay with the Orlando Magic, multiple media outlets reported.
Harris, 22, and the Magic were unable to reach agreement on an extension by the Oct. 31 deadline last season, making him a restricted free agent this summer.
The Magic would have had the right to match any offer sheet Harris signed with another team this summer.
—Swingman Corey Brewer and point guard Patrick Beverley decided to stick with the Houston Rockets, reaching contract agreements with the team.
Brewer’s three-year deal was worth $24 million and Beverley’s was four years and $25 million, according to multiple reports.
Brewer, an unrestricted free agent, considered the Sacramento Kings and the New York Knicks before deciding to re-sign with the Rockets. Reports indicated that Beverley was coveted by another Western Conference team.
—Free agent center Robin Lopez landed with the New York Knicks, reaching a contract agreement with the team.
The four-year deal is valued at $54 million, according to a Yahoo Sports report. The 27-year-old Lopez leaves the Trail Blazers.
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