LaMarcus Aldridge and the San Antonio Spurs mutually agreed to separate, Gregg Popovich said Wednesday. Aldridge has been with the Spurs since 2015, but has been set to become a free agent this season. He averages just 13.7 points per game, the lowest number he has scored since his debut season, and only 4.5 rebounds per game, a career low.
“LaMarcus is not with the team”, Popovich said in a statement. “He is healthy in that respect, but we have mutually agreed to work some opportunities for him and that will be elsewhere. So he will not be with the team going forward. He has been a great teammate. There was no problem there. We just think this is a victory for LaMarcus and the club. So, when an opportunity arises, it will depend on management, your agent, you know, more or less. We will all move forward. “
“He has been a great teammate. He did everything we asked for. And right now, we would just like something that works for him as much as for our club, because he deserves it.”
Aldridge almost left Spurs after the 2016-17 season. He asked for an exchange, but ended up settling his differences with Popovich and eventually signed a contract extension in San Antonio. This time, however, it seems that his time with the Spurs is really over.
The lineups with Aldridge have had difficulties this season. The Spurs had 8.7 points for every 100 best possessions with him on the bench, as his surprising success was largely driven by his line-up. Spurs entered the All-Star break with an 18-14 record and the 7th seed in the Western Conference standings.
Spurs are involved in commercial negotiations, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, but it is not clear who the suitors are or what the Spurs can ask for in return. Given its declining production, the price is likely to be minimal. The fact that the Spurs are willing to let him go, despite having a genuine chance of making it into the postseason, is not encouraging.
But Aldridge’s main skill is shooting, and shooting tends to age well. If Aldridge can find the right support system to move forward, he can still help a contender. Whoever buys it bets on his ability to protect him defensively and take advantage of that forward shot.