Report: Spurs' Aldridge unhappy playing 2nd fiddle to Kawhi

LaMarcus Aldridge wants to be the face of the San Antonio Spurs.

He didn't have that role with the Portland Trail Blazers, as he deferred to Brandon Roy early in his career, then Damian Lillard after that.

So, Aldridge joined the Spurs in free agency last summer while reportedly under the impression he'd become the No. 1 option.

However, Aldridge may not be happy with how things have transpired, league sources told Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News.

It's believed that during the recruitment process, San Antonio promised to run the offense around the big man, but that didn't happen in his first year with the Spurs.

Last season saw Aldridge's usage rate actually decrease - 25.9, down from 30.2 with the Trail Blazers in 2014-15 - and with it, the rest of his production.

He averaged 18 points on 51.3 percent shooting, to go along with 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.1 blocks. This, after averaging over 20 points in the previous five seasons.

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Part of the issue is Aldridge's fit within Gregg Popovich's ball-moving system, while another factor is Kawhi Leonard's emergence as the team's leader in light of Tim Duncan's impending retirement.

Related: Aldridge reportedly might not finish season with Spurs

Contrastingly, another source indicated there aren't any problems surrounding Aldridge, and he's part of San Antonio's future.