NBA Rumors: San Antonio Spurs Offer Damian Lillard Massive Deal; Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge Find New Tim Duncan

By Mitch de Leon
NBA: Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors
Mar 11, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) reacts after being called for a foul against Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 128-112.  Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The San Antonio Spurs is arguably one of the best teams in the Western Conference with Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Danny Green repeatedly set to beat the team-up of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors. However, the Tony Parker team might need more than just their rising Big Three to dominate the league as they fell victim to the Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook tandem last NBA season. Hence, reports are surfacing that Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers is expected to reunite with LaMarcus Aldridge soon in the San Antonio Spurs roster.

The separation of LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard pretty much resembles that between Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. While the Golden State Warriors have yet to confirm rumors of working on signing the remaining Oklahoma City Thunder NBA All-Star, the San Antonio Spurs are said to be close to sealing the deal with the Portland Trail Blazers leader. Will this move solve their problem following the Tim Duncan retirement announcement that rocked the NBA community?

Unlike Kobe Bryant, who had a retirement tour with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2015-16 season, Tim Duncan opted to announce his exit in the same low key manner he led the Kawhi Leonard squad. Without any fuss or grand plans, the five-time NBA champion decided to end his 19 years in the league this offseason. Hence, rumors are rife that the San Antonio Spurs are looking for a good leader to replace him soon.

"Tim Duncan is one of the most dominant players in NBA history," said Adam Silver in his statement following the Tim Duncan retirement announcement. He added, "His devotion to excellence and mastery of the game led to five NBA championships, two regular-season MVP awards and a place among the all-time greats, while his understated selflessness made him the ultimate teammate."

Silver further shared, "For two decades Tim represented the Spurs, the city of San Antonio and the league with passion and class. All of us in the NBA family thank him for his profound impact on the game."

Where will the San Antonio Spurs go from here? At the moment, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are still with the NBA team. However, the departure of Tim Duncan will definitely leave a void in their roster. Will adding Damian Lillard be a good move?

Despite the exit of LaMarcus Aldridge from the Portland Trail Blazers last summer, he is said to have kept his good relationship with Damian Lillard. While Aldridge understandably had to adjust to the Gregg Popovich style of play, the San Antonio Spurs fans expected more from him especially after big money was spent to sign him. Aldridge was earlier aggressively pursued by the New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls.

"[Aldridge and I] basically exchanged texts about how much admiration we have for each other," said Lillard following the exit of his teammate at the time. He added, "That change wasn't about me. I did express that I wanted him to be back. I told him I respected his decision. I respected that he told me before the news broke and I saw it on TV."

What do you think? Will the San Antonio Spurs be a good fit for Damian Lillard? Will a reunion with LaMarcus Aldridge and eventual relationship with Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green make the Portland Trails Blazers star the next Tim Duncan?

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