3 Most Likely Buyout Destinations for LaMarcus Aldridge

Thursday's NBA Trade Deadline passed without a LaMarcus Aldridge trade, and the veteran big man quickly agreed to a buyout with the San Antonio Spurs shortly thereafter. The 14-year pro is expected to join a contender and compete for his first NBA championship.

With that in mind, here are three likely destinations for Aldridge on the buyout market.

LaMarcus Aldridge Buyout Rumors

3. Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are always going to be players for buyout candidates, and Aldridge is no different. Averaging 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 36.0% from deep, the veteran would bring a dependable scoring presence to help solidify the Lakers' frontcourt rotation. He might not help with the team's defense like Andre Drummond would, but with Anthony Davis struggling with injuries, it'd be smart for LA to pursue players capable of carrying the load if need be. In search of his ring, Aldridge would certainly be up for the task.

2. Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets are currently the favorite to win the NBA Finals, and they'd surely welcome Aldridge to their rotation while keeping him away from other teams hoping to sign him. Brooklyn could use some center depth, and throwing Aldridge into the frontcourt along with DeAndre Jordan, Blake Griffin and Nicolas Claxton would give the Nets a number of dependable bigs to turn to in the playoffs. If Aldridge is set on adding a championship to his resume, the Nets could likely be his best shot this season.

1. Miami Heat

The Miami Heat appear to be the frontrunners to sign Aldridge following his buyout from the Spurs, as the team is in desperate need of frontcourt depth. The 6-foot-8 Precious Achiuwa is the team's backup center behind Bam Adebayo, setting up Miami to get thrashed in the playoffs against the dominant bigs of the Eastern Conference. Aldridge can play at both power forward and center, giving the Heat a floor-stretcher alongside Adebayo or someone who can fill the center spot when Miami's All-Star rests. This squad's strengths currently lie in its wings and guards, but nabbing a five-time All-NBA player to boost their big man rotation would be a huge win for Miami heading into a potential Finals run.

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Isaiah De Los Santos is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Isaiah De Los Santos also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username zayyy05328. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.