The New York Knicks wanted LaMarcus Aldridge to play "strictly" at center, which was the reason why the scheduled meeting between the two parties was canceled.

“They didn’t want to meet with me,” Aldridge said. “Some people said it was me. But it was both parties agreeing that we shouldn’t meet.”

League sources say Phil Jackson decided it was best for the Knicks to cancel the meeting with Aldridge because the team prioritized the center position in free agency and Aldridge made it clear that he didn’t want to play center exclusively. 

The Knicks had already missed out on Greg Monroe, so they decided to focus on pursuing DeAndre Jordan and Robin Lopez. Lopez was signed to a four-year, $54 million deal by the Knicks.

Aldridge eventually agreed to sign with the San Antonio Spurs.