The Spurs will be the third of seven teams slated to meet with Aldridge, 29, after the start of free agency late Tuesday night.
The Lakers were scheduled for an audience with him first, followed by Houston. Phoenix, Dallas, Toronto and New York are on deck after the Spurs finish their presentation.
When the Spurs score their sitdown with Aldridge, a four-time All-Star and Texas native, they will have much to pitch.
Popovich’s presence will loom large in the room. Aldridge admires him.
Duncan might loom even larger, given his well-documented status as Aldridge’s childhood idol.
The Spurs’ championship pedigree will be a draw, as will Popovich’s much-mimicked minutes-management program that has helped extend the career of several 30-something veterans, including the 39-year-old Duncan.
The Spurs wouldn’t be permitted anywhere near Aldridge’s free agency meetings, however, if not for the fact that they have — or could have — enough money to enter the bidding in the first place.
Aldridge can earn a maximum salary beginning at $18.9 million next season. With one or two more well-timed roster machinations, the Spurs can get there.
On the other: LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland’s All-NBA forward.
It is a summit years in the making.
Even as Spurs general manager R.C. Buford and his front office staff have spent capital to construct a roster capable of competing for championships, they did so with one eye on the day when an aging team might need to reboot.
“My complete faith and trust in R.C. is never going to change, because of the track record he has,” said Popovich, who is also team president. “He’s always thinking not just for the next year and the next two years, but the next three years, the next seven years, that type of thing.”
On Wednesday morning in Los Angeles, only a few hours after the opening of NBA free agency, a Spurs contingent will sit down with arguably the marquee star on the market.
On one side of the table: Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, Hall of Fame-bound power forward Tim Duncan and point guard Tony Parker.
Team officials were not allowed to to talk to, or about, prospective free agents until the 11 p.m. starting gun sounded Tuesday.
It is clear, however, that the Spurs view Aldridge not only as a piece helpful toward remaining in the title mix next season, but a key component in the transition to the post-Duncan era.
Credit goes to Buford and his group, whose every move over the past few years has been geared at maintaining cap flexibility for this summer.
For starters: It is no accident the Spurs enter July with 10 contracts timed to come off the books at precisely the same time.
“We put the team together with that in mind, that this year we’d have all the free agents,” Popovich said, “so we can decide what we want to do moving forward as far as the makeup of the team.”
Buford and his team still have work to do if they are to complete their bid for Aldridge.
Among the avenues the Spurs appear to be exploring in their quest to carve Aldridge-sized cap space is to trade for it.
According to a league source, the Spurs have had discussions with Cleveland centered around Brendan Haywood and his $10.5 million non-guaranteed contract.
Specifics of the talks are uncertain, but league sources say the Spurs have been actively looking for a taker for Tiago Splitter — due to make $8.5 million next season — in order to lay the groundwork for their Aldridge chase.
Cleveland is also known to covet a scoring backup guard, and could push the Spurs to include a player such as Patty Mills in the talks.
Such a deal, if it came to fruition, would allow the Spurs to send out nearly $12.1 million in salary without taking any in return. Haywood could be waived at no cost.
It is unclear how serious the Spurs’ discussions with Cleveland have been, or how motivated the Cavaliers might be to help fortify the roster of another title contender.
The Spurs, meanwhile, are unlikely to agree to any cap-clearing trade until first securing a commitment from Aldridge.
If the Spurs are able to finagle enough space for Aldridge via trade, they might still be able make a competitive offer for guard Danny Green, who stands poised to draw immense interest on the free-agent market.
At this point, that appears to be the Spurs’ Plan A.
The process by which the Spurs have arrived here, with a credible chance of landing Aldridge, is a master class in Cap Management 101.
Their every decision has built to this point.
When the Spurs opted to hold off on giving small forward Kawhi Leonard a maximum extension in October, it caught even some in Leonard’s camp off guard.
The goal has since become clear. By waiting until this summer to give Leonard the same deal, it afforded the Spurs about $9 million in additional cap space to use now.
Also in October, the Spurs declined to offer a contract extension to point guard Cory Joseph, allowing him to become a free agent this summer.
That saves the Spurs $2.023 million against the cap now, during an offseason when each cent counts in pursuit of Aldridge.
Every move the Spurs have made has led them to the place they will occupy Wednesday, across the negotiating table from a free-agent star.
No matter how the meeting with Aldridge turns out, it has been a long time coming.
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Many thanks for posting! :toast
I'm not sure what I think about the possibility of giving Cleveland Splitter and Mills. I could see that making the Cavs too tough. But, if it gets us LMA without losing Danny it might be worth it...
If you goggle, Jeff McDonald Aldridge,the article will come up. click on the link and they give you a freebie.
If you follow Jeff McDonald on Twitter, he tweets out his articles and it doesn't make you log in as a subscriber.
Thanks guys. I'll use that on future articles. :bobo