Free-agent veteran LaMarcus Aldridge will sign with the Brooklyn Nets, agent Jeff Schwartz told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday.
The Nets, loading up for a title run, have now secured Aldridge and Blake Griffin in the buyout market.
Aldridge is expected to see a significant amount of his minutes at center for the Nets, who are in second place in the Eastern Conference behind the Philadelphia 76ers.
The San Antonio Spurs and Aldridge mutually agreed that he will not return to the team earlier the month. The Spurs engaged on several fronts with potential trades for Aldridge before ultimately negotiating the contract buyout.
Aldridge, 35, is a seven-time All-Star, and entered this season on an expiring contract with a $24 million salary.
“He’s been a great teammate. No problem there,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said March 10. “We just think this is a win-win for both LaMarcus and the club.”
Aldridge missed eight of the Spurs’ final 11 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 as a reserve for the first time since he was a rookie with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2006-07. In Aldridge’s last game with the Spurs, he scored two points in 15 minutes in a 124-113 overtime loss to the Nets on March 1.
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 3-point range. His scoring average and minutes are his lowest since his rookie year.
“He’s done everything we’ve asked,” Popovich said.
Aldridge averaged 19.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game during five and a half seasons with the Spurs, whom he signed with in free agency after spending the first nine seasons of his career in Portland.