NBA Rumors: Nets Land LaMarcus Aldridge, Will This Give Brooklyn Its First Title?

NBA teams are now racing for the services of top names in the buyout market, and LaMarcus Aldridge has been secured. The 35-year-old agreed to join the Brooklyn Nets for the rest of the season, further bolstering the franchise’s chances of winning an NBA title this season.

Although Aldridge is no longer as effective as before, a change in scenery could help him play better. However, it is worth noting that he is joining a talented team where his playing time will depend on his performance. Before the deal, the Nets were banking on DeAndre Jordan and sophomore Nic Claxton – someone who has been performing well as of late.

Aldridge chose the Nets over the Miami Heat, another team that was widely linked to the second overall pick of the 2006 NBA Draft. The decision to join Brooklyn was announced by player agent Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports to ESPN.

This season, Aldridge played 21 games with the San Antonio Spurs averaging 13.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists, per Basketball-Reference. These were a far cry from his career averages of 19.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists. The seven-time All-Star and the Spurs mutually agreed to part ways by the end of the season, but a buyout was highly anticipated by NBA teams.

The Nets could win it all with their cast. He becomes the sixth All-Star in the mix, joining the likes of Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Blake Griffin – another addition Brooklyn snagged from the buyout market.

Attention shifts to Andre Drummond

With Aldridge now off the table, all eyes will be on Andre Drummond. His next team should be known in the coming days, and the number of teams interested in him has been whittled down. The New York Knicks were initially no longer interested in Drummond, preferring to stick it out with Mitchell Robinson.

However, this was before the 22-year-old center broke his right foot in the Knicks game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. Robinson will be re-evaluated, but this may be something that would re-ignite interest from New York on the 7-foot native of Illinois.

Drummond has been strongly linked to the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Charlotte Hornets are also in the mix, but the All-Star center is likely to want to play for a contender.