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LaMarcus Aldridge: Top 5 Free Agency Destinations

By Gerald Bourguet

Apr 27, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) before game four against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) before game four against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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LaMarcus Aldridge
Mar 11, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) shoots against the Houston Rockets during the first quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Houston Rockets

To be clear, the Rockets would have to do some MAJOR roster configuring in order to clear up enough salary cap room to sign Aldridge to anything close to a max contract. Next season’s salary cap is projected to be about $67.1 million, but the Rockets already have $60.8 million on the books if you include Kostas Papanikolaou‘s $4.8 million team option and Corey Brewer‘s $4.9 million player option.

Even more troubling, the Rockets still have integral pieces of their roster to re-sign. Patrick Beverley and K.J. McDaniels will be restricted free agents. The contracts of Josh Smith and Jason Terry come off the books this summer, but J-Smoove has played exceedingly well off the bench alongside Dwight Howard.

As we’ve already mentioned, Aldridge could make up to $109 million on a five-year contract in Portland. Everywhere else, he’s looking at about four years and $81 million (at most). For the Rockets to be able to pay Aldridge $20 million a season, they’d have to gut the roster.

James Harden and Dwight Howard alone will make $38 million next season, so Brewer, Papanikolaou and Trevor Ariza ($8.2 million next season) would have to be gone, and that’s just for starters.

A trio of Harden, Howard and Aldridge would make the Rockets title contenders, but would they take a step backward by getting rid of so many helpful role players? Would they be able to fill those holes with minimum salary players? And would Aldridge be okay with a diminished role, similar to what Chris Bosh and Kevin Love took on in the last few seasons?

On paper, a Harden-Aldridge-Howard trio sounds great. Making it happen is another matter, especially since the Rockets are already one of the best teams in the NBA without LMA.

Next: No. 1