Aldridge became a free agent Thursday after reaching agreement with the Spurs on a buyout, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Aldridge's tenure with the Spurs is officially over after he had been with the team since the 2015-16 campaign. The 35-year-old has been away from the team since March 10 after he and the Spurs mutually agreed to part ways. San Antonio had been hopeful to get something in return for Aldridge prior to Thursday's trade deadline, but the team wasn't able to find another club willing to take on the remaining money on his contract. As he leaves San Antonio, Aldridge will presumably be seeking a move to a team with championship aspirations, with Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN labeling the Heat as the fronturnner to sign him. Aldridge averaged 13.7 points on 46.4 percent shooting from the field to go with 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 25.9 minutes per game in 21 appearances for San Antonio this season.

Aldridge and the Spurs are moving forward with a buyout of his contract, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports.

EDGE Analysis

As expected, after the Spurs were unable to find a trade partner for Aldridge, they'll buy out the veteran big man, making him an unrestricted free agent. Aldridge is expected to generate interest from several teams in need of a veteran scoring presence in the frontcourt. The 35-year-old's best days are behind him, but he's less than a year removed from averaging 18.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 33.1 minutes per game. Aldridge never quite found his footing in 2020-21, appearing in only 21 games and averaging 13.7 points, 4.5 boards and 0.9 blocks in 25.9 minutes.

Aldridge and the Spurs have agreed to part ways, and he'll remain away from the team until a resolution is reached, Tim MacMahon of ESPN reports. "We've mutually agreed for him to work on some opportunities elsewhere," coach Gregg Popovich said Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

Aldridge is the latest big man to go through a situation like this, following in the footsteps of Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond earlier this season. The veteran missed eight of the Spurs' final 11 games before the break due to injury, but it looks as though he may have also been unhappy with his role, as his workload sunk to 25.9 minutes per game -- by far his lowest figure since his rookie season back in 2006-07. At this stage of his career, Aldridge is no longer a perennial All-Star, but he can still provide value, and his expiring contract makes him a more appealing trade target. Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Spurs are already engaged with multiple teams on a potential Aldridge deal.

Aldridge (illness) isn't on the injury report for Wednesday's game against the Mavericks, Paul Garcia of ProjectSpurs.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 35-year-old missed the final two games before the All-Star break due to a stomach illness, and he's unsurprisingly ready to go to start the second half. Aldridge came off the bench in his previous three appearances, but he could rejoin the starting five out of the break.

Aldridge (illness) will not play Thursday against the Thunder, Tom Osborn of the San Antonio Express-News reports.

EDGE Analysis

Due to a stomach bug, the veteran will miss his second consecutive game, and the next time we'll see him will be sometime after the All-Star break. Jakob Poeltl, Drew Eubanks and Trey Lyles will likely continue seeing extra action.

Aldridge (illness) is questionable for Thursday's matchup against the Thunder, Paul Garcia of ProjectSpurs.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Aldridge missed Tuesday's game against the Knicks due to a stomach illness, and the issue may cause him to sit out the Spurs' final game before the All-Star break Thursday. If that's the case, Jakob Poeltl, Drew Eubanks and Trey Lyles will likely continue seeing extra action.

Aldridge (illness) will not play in Tuesday's game against the Knicks, Paul Garcia of ProjectSpurs.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Aldridge is dealing with a non-COVID stomach illness, which could explain his poor outing and limited workload of 15 minutes during Monday's loss to Brooklyn. This will mark the 10th game the 35-year-old has missed in the first half of the season. Trey Lyles could see an increased workload with Aldridge out.

Aldridge tallied just two points (0-3 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT) and four rebounds in 15 minutes during Monday's 124-113 loss to the Nets.

EDGE Analysis

This is about as bad as it gets for the veteran who simply couldn't get going in the loss. While his season has basically been one big disappointment, this could be the floor, or at least we hope it is. If you picked him up recently, you might want to hold for one more game given they play again on Tuesday, this time against the Knicks. If his production continues to dwindle, moving on in standard leagues might not be the worst idea in the world.

Aldridge scored 21 points (5-10 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 10-10 FT) to go along with five rebounds and one block across 23 minutes in Saturday's win over the Pelicans.

EDGE Analysis

Aldridge played in his second consecutive game despite battling a wrist injury. He didn't show any ill-effects and had a strong scoring night due to his ability to get to the free-throw line. Prior to this effort, Aldridge had failed to attempt more than four free-throws in any contest, so he isn't likely to replicate this type of production regularly. In two games since returning from a hip injury that cost him two weeks of action, Aldridge has played 26 and 23 minutes respectively.

Aldridge (wrist) is available for Saturday's matchup against the Pelicans, Paul Garcia of ProjectSpurs.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Despite right wrist soreness, the veteran will see the court for a second straight game following a six-game absence due to a hip injury. Across his past five appearances, Aldridge has averaged 12.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 blocks in 24.0 minutes.