The Toronto Raptors infamously passed on power forward LaMarcus Aldridge in the 2006 NBA Draft to select Andrea Bargnani, and now the club may have a chance to correct that wrong.
According to a report from Shams Charania of RealGM.com, Aldridge has interest in joining the Raptors and plans to meet with the club later this week.
Aldridge, 29, will also reportedly sit down with the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Lakers as soon as he is eligible to begin talking with teams on July 1.
The four-time all-star has spent the past nine seasons with the Portland Trailblazers, averaging 19.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game. He had a career-high 23.4 points per game last season.
Aldridge is widely expected to leave Portland as an unrestricted free agent.
Update: Aldridge is reportedly talking with the Raptors and six other teams in Los Angeles beginning Tuesday night when the NBA’s free agency period kicks off at 12:01 ET:
The Raptors are expected to be busy this off-season, and are also believed to have interest in Wes Matthews, Aldridge’s teammate in Portland over the past five seasons.
