The San Antonio Spurs and veteran power forward / center LaMarcus Aldridge have mutually agreed that he will not be returning to the team, coach Gregg Popovich announced Wednesday evening.
Spurs are working on potential deals for Aldridge on several fronts, believing they can find a deal – perhaps even in the next week – and avoid the need to negotiate a contract buyout, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
If there is no trade for Aldridge before the March 25 trade deadline expires and a contract buyout comes into play, many of the league’s top teams are showing private interest in adding him as a free agent, sources said.
Aldridge, 35, a seven-time All-Star, has been given permission to “work on some opportunities elsewhere,” although he will officially remain on the Spurs roster for now. He has an expiring contract with a salary of $ 24 million.
“He’s been a great teammate. No problem,” Popovich said in the media during his virtual pregame. “We just think this is a win-win for both LaMarcus and the club. If an opportunity presents itself, it’s up to management, his agent and things like that, and we’ll all move on.”
Aldridge missed eight of the Spurs’ last eleven games before the All-Star break due to hip and quadriceps injuries. He came off the bench in the three games he played during that stretch, playing for the first time since being a rookie with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2006-07.
The Spurs won six of the eight games Aldridge played and entered the All-Star break with an 18-14 record. They are in seventh place in the standings of the Western Conference.
Aldridge has averaged 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 25.9 minutes per game this season, shooting 46.4% from the floor and 36% from the 3-point range. His scoring average and minutes are his lowest since his rookie year.
In Aldridge’s last game with the Spurs, he scored two points in 15 minutes in a 124-113 overtime loss against the Brooklyn Nets on March 1.
“He has done everything we asked,” said Popovich. “At this point we just want to do something that works just as well for him for our club, because he deserves it.”
Aldridge averaged 19.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game for five and a half seasons with the Spurs, with whom he signed in free agency after spending the first nine seasons of his career in Portland.