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NBA notes: LaMarcus Aldridge to join the Spurs

LaMarcus Aldridge has agreed to a four-year, $80 million contract. (Associated Press)
Associated Press
LaMarcus Aldridge has agreed to a four-year, $80 million contract. (Associated Press)

LaMarcus Aldridge got the answers he needed from the San Antonio Spurs.

And the Spurs apparently got the answer they wanted.

Ending a frantic few days of courtship – and perhaps cementing the Spurs as the preseason favorites to win yet another NBA title – Aldridge announced Saturday that he will sign with San Antonio and align with Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard to form what would figure to be among the league’s most-formidable frontcourts.

“I’m happy to say I’m going home to Texas and will be a Spur!!” Aldridge, a Dallas native, posted to his verified Twitter account. “I’m excited to join the team and be close to my family and friends.”

The Spurs could not comment because of the league’s offseason moratorium. Aldridge’s representatives did not respond to requests for further comment beyond the tweet.

Aldridge, who spent his first nine seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, will be eligible to sign his new deal Thursday.

He met with several teams, all who were offering what the Spurs did: $80 million for four years.

It ushers in a new era for Portland. Damian Lillard got a new $120 million deal in recent days to stay with the Blazers, but Wesley Matthews (Dallas), Nic Batum (Charlotte), Arron Afflalo (New York) and Robin Lopez (New York) are heading elsewhere.

Now Aldridge, the second-leading scorer in Portland history behind only Clyde Drexler, is gone as well.

Blazers GM Neil Olshey made several moves in preparation for Aldridge’s departure. He sent Batum to Charlotte for guard Gerald Henderson and second-year power forward Noah Vonleh, added big man Mason Plumlee in a draft-day trade with Brooklyn and signed versatile power forward Ed Davis to a three-year, $20 million deal.

Aldridge averaged a career-high 23.4 points and also grabbed 10.2 rebounds per game while playing with an injured thumb last season for the Blazers. And last year he added a new dimension to his game – the 3-pointer, making 37 of them after making a total of 24 in his first eight seasons combined.

After winning the championship in 2014, the Spurs were eliminated in seven games by the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs this year. With their famed trio of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili aging, the Spurs have deftly set up the long-term health of the franchise with several moves this summer.

Around the league

Tobias Harris – a restricted free agent – has agreed on a new four-year contract worth $64 million to remain with the Orlando Magic. … New Orleans Pelicans and forward Dante Cunningham have agreed on a three-year contract extension worth about $9 million.