10 NBA players in need of a trade in 2017-18

6. LaMarcus Aldridge

The LaMarcus Aldridge signing was a coup for the San Antonio Spurs when it happened, and no one on planet earth should sneer at the 67- and 61-win totals the team has posted since adding the former Portland Trail Blazers superstar.

However, that immense success was more about Kawhi Leonard and Gregg Popovich doing what they do than Aldridge being a seamless fit. It’s also not a coincidence the Spurs were ousted in the conference semifinals and conference finals in disappointing fashion, with Aldridge notably struggling in San Antonio’s losses.

In 2016, when that mighty 67-win team pounded the Oklahoma City Thunder by 32 in Game 1 of their playoff series, Aldridge led the way with 38 points on 18-of-23 shooting and Spurs fans were as confident in the signing as ever.

Fast forward five games, with Aldridge struggling from Game 3 on, and the Spurs had been stunned by a younger, more athletic Thunder team. Last year, when Kawhi Leonard went down, the 32-year-old Aldridge looked a step slow and was nowhere to be found as San Antonio’s next-in-command.

Couple all of this with reports that Aldridge was unhappy playing in a winning culture like the Spurs’ and it’s no surprise his name has already popped up in trade rumors. San Antonio could easily run it back for another 55- or 60-win season, but Kawhi can only carry this aging team so far. At some point, more losses will lead to an unhappier Aldridge, and at that point — likely in 2017-18 — all bets will be off where he might end up.