The New York Knicks after two days in free agency does not have much to show for all the cap space Phil Jackson cleared out. So far the only move New York has made is coming to an agreement with Arron Afflalo for $16 million over two-year. Not the big move Knicks’ fans were expecting… Now to pile on the Knicks…LaMarcus Aldridge has cancelled his meeting with the New York today.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings: LaMarcus Aldridge has cancelled his meeting with the Knicks today, per source.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 2, 2015
LaMarcus Aldridge updates:
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 2, 2015
- Meeting with Knicks put off
- Meets with Lakers for 2nd time
- Will have dinner with Pat Riley tonight
Aldridge supposedly had a disagreement with Phil Jackson regarding the position he should play. Jackson wanted Aldridge to play center for New York. Aldridge disagreed…
Knicks meeting was cancelled once it became clear NY wanted Aldridge to play center, something he is adamant against doing, per source.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 2, 2015
According to Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times, Aldridge is granting the Los Angeles Lakers a second meeting.
"a “follow-up” to their unsuccessful sit-down with him when free agency began Tuesday night.Aldridge, the Lakers’ top target this summer, was unimpressed by the team’s initial pitch, wanting more talk about on-court projections and analytics and less discussion about branding possibilities in the city of Los Angeles."
The second meeting with the Lakers will only involve GM Mitch Kupchak and Coach Byron Scott, & will only be about basketball, per source.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 2, 2015
Aldridge will also be meeting with Pat Riley and the Miami Heat tonight as well. So yea…that’s great……
Dinner with Riley, sources say, will come AFTER LaMarcus Aldridge has his afternoon briefing with Laker GM Mitch Kupchak & coach Byron Scott
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 2, 2015
According to Adrian Wonjnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Phoenix Suns have cleared cap space to sign Aldridge. Phoenix already made a huge splash in free agency by having an agreement with Tyson Chandler to sign for $52 million over four-year.
"The Suns traded forwards Marcus Morris and Danny Granger and guard Reggie Bullock to the Detroit Pistons for a 2020 second-round pick, league sources told Yahoo.The Suns had $12 million in cap space entering free agency. Dealing Morris, Granger and Bullock now gives them nearly $20 million available, more than half of which is earmarked for the four-year, $52 million contract agreed to by center Tyson Chandler on Wednesday."
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Chandler could be the trump card for Phoenix with Aldridge because of his displeasure of playing the center position. Chandler is a a former defensive player of the year and will take all the defensive pressure off of Aldridge. Chandler was the defensive anchor to a NBA Championship team in 2011 for the Dallas Mavericks, helping Dirk Nowitzki win his first title. Putting Chandler alongside Aldridge would immediately vault the Suns to Playoffs contention and at least be given the chance to win a title.
MORE: Suns plan to use Chandler to help woo LaMarcus Aldridge to Phoenix. (via @YahooSports)
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 1, 2015
The San Antonio Spurs seem to be the frontrunners for Aldridge’s services. According to Mike Tokito of The Oregonian, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports said on “Fox Sports Live” that Aldridge was absolutely blown away by the Spurs.
"“The Spurs absolutely blew LaMarcus Aldridge away, and his camp,” Wojnarowski said. “Gregg Popovich was really on his game today, very animated, engaged in the room. And the Spurs players, in very much their understated way, just talked to Aldridge.“The way it was described to me was, it wasn’t really a presentation, which made it among the best presentations they’d ever seen, it was just the Spurs being the Spurs. ‘Here’s what it’s like to be part of us. Come play with us. We’ll win a couple championships with you.”"
Source familiar w/ LaMarcus Aldridge's situation says currently Spurs & Suns are front-runners. Dallas 3rd. Lakers out. Heat not happening.
— Jared Zwerling (@JaredZwerling) July 2, 2015
So…I guess the Knicks are going to be left out again…just twiddling their thumbs while the rest of the NBA stench up every viable free agent…