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The Portland Trail Blazers have been busy in the offseason making moves to bolster the team for a run in the Western Conference, while also attempting to keep center LaMarcus Aldridge happy. After rumors of a possible trade due to Aldridge’s alleged unhappiness last season, Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey is determined to do whatever it takes to ensure that Aldridge is excited to be in Portland.
“I’m someone that keeps the players apprised of what we’re doing, across the board,” Olshey said, according to OregonLive.com. “LaMarcus and I have had a lot of conversations throughout the summer and it started the night before free agency, doing trades to get Robin Lopez and to get Tom Robinson and bolster our front court. He was pleased with that. We communicated that with one another.”
It certainly was no secret that Olshey went out and signed veteran point guard Mo Williams to give Aldridge another player to work with. Obviously, the hope is that surrounding him with talented players or players with plenty of potential will give him more reason to play at a high level. Not to mention, it will give him more reason to want to stay with the Trail Blazers.
“Adding Mo was just another guy that can do the two things on the offensive side that LaMarcus excels at,” Olshey told OregonLive.com. “He can run pick-and-roll and he can feed the post and spot and space the floor.”
Even though Aldridge is under contract with Portland for two more years, the organization does not want to lose one of the top offensive centers in the league once he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
