LaMarcus Aldridge

Portland Trail Blazers continue to dodge the LaMarcus Aldridge bullet

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:19 p.m. ET

Fansided, Angelo Mendoza/FanSided via Hoops Habit

The Portland Trail Blazers need not regret being unable to re-sign LaMarcus Aldridge in 2015 and should remain clear of him moving forward.

According to Sam Amick of USA TODAY Sports, former Portland Trail Blazers big man LaMarcus Aldridge is unhappy with his situation playing for the San Antonio Spurs.

In response, the Spurs reportedly put Aldridge on the trading block prior to the 2017 NBA Draft, hoping to yield a lottery pick in return.

"According to a person with knowledge of the Spurs forward's situation, it's the 31-year-old's unhappiness in San Antonio that is the driving force behind the Spurs' trade talks on Thursday. The five-time All-Star, according to the person, is hopeful that San Antonio can find a better fit for his talents.

"The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation.

"The Spurs are known to be talking to several teams about the possibility of trading Aldridge, with their hope of landing a high first-round pick in the Thursday draft. ESPN first reported the Spurs' trade talks relating to Aldridge, who has one more guaranteed season on his contract worth $21.4 million and a player option for the 2018-19 season worth $22.3 million."

The first question that comes to mind: who in their right mind would want to willingly leave behind one of the most successful franchises in NBA history? But in Aldridge's defense, he was sold on the belief that his talents would be a great fit in the Spurs system, and the team's postseason performance served as proof that his skill-set is better off elsewhere.

Against the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the 2017 Western Conference Finals, Aldridge dropped 28 points in Game 1 before averaging an abysmal 11.3 points over the course of the final three contests of that series. When the 2017 postseason was all said and done, the soon-to-be 32-year-old power forward had averaged just 16.5 points and 1.0 blocks per game, both of which were career-lows.

So it's possible a change in scenery could be a positive thing for the former Blazers star. The Phoenix Suns were one of the favorites to land Aldridge considering he had once thought about playing there prior joining the Spurs.

But according to Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News, the Portland Trail Blazers also expressed interest in bringing back their former centerpiece.

"A league source told the Express-News that Portland Trail Blazers would execute a trade for Aldridge to reunite him with star Damian Lillard. Aldridge, who played nine seasons in Portland, but left the Blazers in 2015 to sign with the Spurs. The Blazers haven't closed the door completely on a possible return. The team would be willing to complete a trade for Aldridge for matching salary only, according to a league source."

On a related note, one of my favorite new shows is Bravo's "Imposters," which stars the incredibly attractive Inbar Lavi as a troubled, but talented con artist named Maddie Johnson. Her character lives by the profound mantra "Always forward, never back."

It's obvious where I'm going with this: There's no reason to take a step back and try to bring back a blast from the past because it's painstakingly clear that the Blazers are better off without Aldridge. Plus, Aldridge seems to have taken a step back himself, and Blazers aren't in the position to be handing out favors for old time's sake.

So most fans probably let out a sigh of relief when Blazers beat writer Jason Quick of Comcast SportsNet Northwest tweeted out the following:

Update: Source indicates no way Aldridge to Portland will happen. https://t.co/bCLEZJG9WW

— Jason Quick (@jwquick) June 22, 2017

When the Blazers traded up to select Zach Collins at 10, that was the nail in the coffin. When the Blazers selected Caleb Swanigan at 26, it was almost as if they were hammering in another nail for good measure.

Of course, Aldridge can still salvage his career outside of San Antonio. His career is the furthest thing from over. But let's be real: if Aldridge is going to make his return to the Moda Center, it best be in the visiting team's jersey, not in the red, black and white.