LaMarcus Aldridge Open to Ending Career With the Blazers

LaMarcus Aldridge has spent his last five seasons with the San Antonio Spurs after leaving the Portland Trail Blazers in the summer of 2015, but the seven-time All-Star isn’t ruling out either destination as where he will conclude his career. Aldridge is open to a Blazers return given the history he has in Portland, he told Michael C. Wright of NBA.com:

Let’s get a little heavier here. Does it matter to you ultimately where your NBA career ends?

As I think about it, I think I would be cool with it ending in two places, either with San Antonio or in Portland. I think either one would be fine with me. I feel like I’ve made some good memories in San Antonio. I feel like I’m in a really good family in San Antonio. They understand me. I understand them. So, I like that. I feel I have a lot of history in Portland. So, going back there to finish would be fine also. I’m perfectly fine with finishing my career in San Antonio riding it out until my next chapter, or if things have to change there, and if they decide to go young, then I wouldn’t mind going to Portland.

Aldridge also touched on his departure from Portland and his evolving relationship with Damian Lillard, saying that “hindsight is 20-20”:

It seems like your attitude about Portland has changed quite a bit from when you first left there in 2015 to come to San Antonio. I remember how tough the fans were when you went back to play in Portland for the first time. What’s changed?

The fans were rough because they felt like what I did wasn’t right. I left, and I feel like they wanted me to stay and see what could be. But a lot has changed. Like they say, as you grow older hindsight is 20-20. People mature. It’s no secret that Dame and my relationship has gotten a whole lot better. We’ve had some good talks over the years, and we definitely understand each other better. It was well-documented about us just talking and us figuring out that it wasn’t us. It was people around us. So, of course when your relationship gets better with the main guy, then it’s gonna have a different feeling. I feel like I had nothing but good times there. There were ups and downs like there’s going to be anywhere, but I came into the league there, grew into who I am there. So, of course, as you get older, you place value on those things. Obviously, the biggest part of everything is Dame and I fixing what wasn’t really broken by us really just talking it out.

Aldridge’s reflection on Portland comes just days after Lillard said “I’d add LaMarcus” when asked who he would pick if he could add one former teammate to the current roster.

You can read more from Aldridge’s Q&A here.