The San Antonio Spurs and veteran forward / center LaMarcus Aldridge have mutually agreed they will not return to the team, coach Gregg Popovich announced Wednesday night.
The Spurs are engaged on several fronts with possible operations for Aldridge and believe they can find a deal – perhaps even next week – and avoid the need to negotiate the purchase of a contract, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
If there is no change for Aldridge before the March 25 deadline expires and the contract purchase comes into play, many of the best teams in the league privately express their interest in adding him as a free agent. , according to sources.
Aldridge, 35, a seven-time All Star star, has been given permission to “work on some opportunities elsewhere,” though for now he remains officially on the Spurs list. He has an expiring contract with a salary of $ 24 million.
“He’s been a great teammate. No problem,” Popovich said during his virtual availability of game media. “We just think this is a win for both LaMarcus and the club. When an opportunity arises, it will depend on the management, their agent and that sort of thing, and we will all move forward.”
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 all three games he played during this stretch, playing as a reserve for the first time since he was new to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2006-07.
The Spurs won six of the eight games Aldridge settled on, finishing in the All-Star break with an 18-14 record. They rank seventh in the Western Conference standings.
Aldridge has averaged 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 25.9 minutes per game this season, with 46.4% from the ground and 36% from 3 points. His goal average and minutes are the 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 to the Brooklyn Nets on March 1.
“He did everything we asked for,” Popovich said. “Right now, we just 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 in free agency after spending the first nine seasons of his career in Portland.