The San Antonio Spurs and veteran power striker LaMarcus Aldridge mutually agree that he will not return to the team, coach Gregg Popovich announced on Wednesday evening.
Spurs are working on potential deals for Aldridge on several fronts and believe they can find a deal, maybe even next week, and avoid the need to negotiate a contract termination, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
If there is no trade for Aldridge before the March 25 deadline expires and a contract termination 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, was allowed to “work 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 during his availability of virtual media for the game. “We just think this is beneficial for LaMarcus and the club. If an opportunity presents itself, it depends on the management, their agent and things like that, and we’ll all move on.”
Aldridge missed eight of Spurs’ last 11 games before the All-Star break due to hip and quadriceps injuries. He came off the bench in all 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 in which Aldridge was eliminated and entered the All-Star break with an 18-14 record and seventh in the standings of the Western Conference.
Aldridge has averaged 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game this season, shooting 46.4% from the ground and 36% from 3-point range.
“He did everything we asked him to,” said Popovich. “At this point we want to do something that works for both him and 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 a free agency after spending the first nine seasons of his career in Portland.