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Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Golden State Warriors offered All-Star power forward David Lee and small forward Brandon Rush to the Portland Trail Blazers for All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, but the Blazers declined.
The Warriors tried to pry Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge as part of an offer that included Brandon Rush, league sources said. Portland has been engaging trade talks for Aldridge, but has pursued more robust offers than Golden State's proposal, sources said.
Lee, 30, averaged 18.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game last season. He suffered a hip flexor tear during the 2013 playoffs that required offseason surgery. Lee is under contract for $13.9 million in 2013-14, $15 million in 2014-15 and $15.5 million in 2015-16.
Rush, 27, missed a vast majority of the 2012-13 season after tearing his ACL. He is on the books for $4 million in 2013-14, the final year of his current deal.
Aldridge, 27, averaged 21.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game last season. He is on the books for $14.6 million in 2013-14 and $15.8 million in 2014-15.
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reported Thursday that Aldridge's agency has "suggested" the possibility that Aldridge might land with the Chicago Bulls, among other possibilities.
Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reported Thursday that Aldridge "loves Portland" but is interested in a trade if substantial improvements to the roster aren't made. The Bulls and Dallas Mavericks were listed as his desired destinations.
Jason Quick of The Oregonian reported Wednesday that Aldridge "wants out" of Portland and believes the city is "too small" and "too boring." Blazers GM Neil Olshey was quoted as saying that he wasn't making outgoing trade calls about Aldridge but that he would listen if the phone rang, and that Aldridge hadn't yet issued a trade demand.
A report from Illinois on Wednesday suggested that Aldridge wanted to "escape" Portland and play for the Bulls. Multiple reports indicated that the Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers had trade discussions surrounding Aldridge.
A Blazers spokesperson told Blazersedge on Wednesday that Olshey -- who has been in his annual media blackout for pre-draft preparations -- was "unavailable for comment" regarding Aldridge trade rumors and reports.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com reported Wednesday that there is a "solid chance" Aldridge is traded this summer. Early last week, Aldridge's name was put out there as a possible candidate for a draft week trade.
Back in May, Aldridge offered this assessment of his standing with the Blazers.
LA: You know, as of now I'm here and we have a great team. I'm here now and we have a team that can definitely get better next year and we have cap room so we can bring in players. So I'm definitely here, and we'll see what happens.
During his April exit interview, Aldridge suggested it could take two years for the Blazers to return to the playoffs.
Where this team is headed: "This year was a down year. I think it was better than what people thought it would be, it ended bad. I think if we add one or two pieces this summer and we have one OK season, I feel like that following season we should be good, really good."
...
Timeline for improvement: "I think just getting into the playoffs isn't good. I've done that. I think one year of maybe, barely getting in or not getting in, and that next year we should be able to really be serious about it."
Here was Olshey's response to Aldridge's exit interview comments.
I don't think you can speculate today because I don't know what free agency is going to bring, I don't know what the draft is going to bring, I don't know what trades are going to bring. But I know we're going to do everything we can to build the roster. To sit here and put an artificial expectation on what a roster may or may not be when you only have eight returning players and you haven't drafted yet or gone into free agency doesn't make a lot of sense.
But I do know from L.A.'s perspective, we talked, and he knows we're going to be aggressive in building the roster. I'd like to think the improvement from the guys who are already here on top of the guys we're going to bring in will make us a factor faster rather than later.
-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter