LaMarcus Aldridge has received medical clearance to start playing basketball again, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The Nets are considered the favorites to sign him, Charania adds.
Aldridge’s career came to an abrupt end in April when doctors diagnosed him with an irregular heartbeat. The discovery forced him to announce his retirement after playing just five games with Brooklyn, but he has passed all the medical tests necessary to resume his career, according to Charania.
Aldridge, who also dealt with heart issues in 2017, started talking about a comeback last month. The seven-time All-Star now appears ready to return for a 16th NBA season.
He was productive last year in 21 games for the Spurs, averaging 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds as the team’s starting center. However, San Antonio opted to go with younger players and took Aldridge out of the rotation before ultimately reaching a buyout agreement. He signed with Brooklyn in late March, but experienced the health scare two weeks later and was eventually waived.
The Nets are facing a potential roster crunch after reportedly reaching an agreement with free-agent forward Paul Millsap earlier Thursday. However, Brooklyn could open up room with a rumored buyout of veteran center DeAndre Jordan. The Nets can only offer Aldridge a veteran’s minimum contract.
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