There are only two teams left playing in the NBA right now, and for the rest of the 28 others, they're looking at the coming offseason to better their chances. One of the free agent prizes teams can look to nab during the summer is one LaMarcus Aldridge. Since the Portland Trail Blazers failed to get past the first round in five years, rumors of Aldridge leaving the northwest for his home state of Texas has been swirling. And now, one report, citing league sources, says that the Dallas Mavericks could be the biggest threat to lure him from Portland.

"LaMarcus feels as all great players do, that wherever he goes, he'll have a great chance. But I don't think about this as what makes the most sense. He feels he's been in Portland a long time and that maybe it's time for a change. That's what's driving this," a source familiar with the sweet shooting forward was quoted saying.

It's a tricky situation basing on sources from both sides. At one hand, they say Aldridge isn't feeling the same way he did last summer when he publicly stated his intention of signing an extension with the Blazers. On the other, there isn't a clear-cut better situation for him than what he has in Portland, as noted by Bleacher Report.

There are also other variables. One huge factor is the $27 million Aldridge would be leaving on the table should he choose to sign with a team not located in Portland. Another is the free agency of his teammate and close friend Wes Matthews, who is currently recovering from a torn Achilles tendon.

"The uncertainty surrounding Wes changes everything," a league executive reportedly commented.

Apart from the Mavs, the San Antonio Spurs have also been rumored as one of the teams looking to actively pursue Aldridge this offseason. The Spurs do not have the cap space to sign him just yet, but one trade to a player like Tiago Splitter could change all that.

"They are all determined to go elsewhere, until they do or don't," a league executive was quoted saying. It always changes in July, when the conversation goes from the subjective to the objective."