After an abrupt retirement at the end of last season due to a heart condition, NBA veteran LaMarcus Aldridge has been medically cleared to play, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
The Brooklyn Nets are favorites to sign the 15-year professional, according to Charania.
Aldridge played his last five NBA games with the eventual No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference last season before retiring due to an irregular heartbeat diagnosis in April. In those five games, the forward put up 12.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 26 minutes per game. He could be returning a stacked team that features stars Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, and has filled out the roster this season with newcomers Patty Mills and, most recently, Paul Millsap.
Seven-time NBA All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge has been cleared to play again, passing all of the necessary tests, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The Nets are leaders to sign Aldridge, sources said.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 2, 2021
The seven-time All-Star – his last coming in 2018-19 – has also played with the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs in his career. He played in 26 games for the Spurs last season before agreeing to a buyout with the club and later signing with the Nets in late March.
Aldridge had been hinting at a return in recent days and that looks to be coming to fruition.
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