Sources: Aldridge to start free agency with Lakers, Rockets

The Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets will get the first opportunities to meet with LaMarcus Aldridgeshortly after the free-agency period officially begins at 12:01 a.m. ET Wednesday.

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, league sources told ESPN.com.

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.

ESPN.com reported in May that the Spurs and Mavericks strongly believe they'll have a great shot to lure Aldridge back to his home state of Texas. But sources said last week that Aldridge is actually thinking more and more about a free-agent jump to the Lakers.

The Lakers, sources added, firmly believe they will now be in the Aldridge hunt. And there is a rising sentiment, sources said, that the Lakers have edged past the Mavericks on Aldridge's wish list even though he was a high school star in Dallas.

The Spurs, sources say, continue to be Aldridge's most likely destination if he goes through with the idea of leaving the Blazers to start anew. The contingent for San Antonio's pitch to Aldridge is expected to includeTim Duncan, Tony Parkerand Gregg Popovich, according to multiple media reports.

ESPN.com's Marc Stein and ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard contributed to this report.