Lakers, Rockets To Meet With Aldridge

The Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets will get the first opportunities to meet with LaMarcus Aldridge shortly after the free-agency period officially begins at 9:01 p.m. PT Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Aldridge also will meet with the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns and Toronto Raptors on Wednesday and with the New York Knicks on Thursday. According to one source, the chance of Aldridge staying with the Portland Trail Blazers is "very unlikely."

Knicks star Carmelo Anthony has already called Aldridge, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard. The Knicks will emphasize that in the Eastern Conference, the road to becoming an All-Star and a playoff team is much less clogged than in the West.