Trail Blazers' owner has moved on from LaMarcus Aldridge
The Portland Trail Blazers lost a big fish over the summer, but their owner, Paul Allen, appears to be more than ready for the upcoming rebuild.
Here's what he recently told The Oregonian about LaMarcus Aldridge's sudden departure, and where Portland will go from here:
As one of the richest people in the world, it sort of makes sense for Allen to be mellow about Aldridge leaving for San Antonio. There was nothing shady about his decision to go; it's his right as a free agent, and Allen respects that.
The Trail Blazers still have Damian Lillard, who starts a five-year maximum contract next season. Their GM, Neil Olshey, is one of the shrewdest minds in the business. And maybe, while the Western Conference's playoff picture looks like a ritualistic blood bath, it's just the right time to step back and renovate the roster.
The Trail Blazers have tradable assets, cap space and a franchise point guard. Life could be worse.
(h/t: Pro Basketball Talk)
I think LaMarcus had a lot of options. We went down to Dallas, Neil and I pitched him, and he chose to go a different direction. We made it to his last few choices and he was good enough to call me up and explain his decision and all that. It’s tough for a franchise, because we were all thinking that we had a real shot at getting him back. But in the end, he chose to go a different direction and now it’s a new day. We’ve moved on and I think you can feel the excitement and the energy in the gym now.
