LaMarcus Aldridge has tied himself to the Spurs for even longer. Now what?

After a whirlwind summer of trade rumors and reports that he wasn’t getting along with management, LaMarcus Aldridge signed what’s being reported as a three-year extension that only actually adds two years to his time in San Antonio. Aldridge will pick up his $22.3 million option for 2018-19 and has signed on for two more years at $25 million per year, though just $7 million is guaranteed in 2020-21, the final year of the deal.

The extension comes just at the end of an offseason that started with a report that Aldridge wanted out of San Antonio altogether, citing unhappiness with how the Spurs’ system had compromised his game. So, what changed during the past four months? The Spurs will bring back largely the same team that fell to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, making it hard to imagine that Aldridge’s role is likely to change significantly this season.

Aldridge has long been mercurial and this decision just deepens that characterization — one minute he’s reportedly asking out, the next he’s tying himself to the Spurs for what may be the remainder of his career. Of course, $32 million in new guaranteed money for the 32-year-old big man does a lot to dampen Aldridge’s fears about his spot in the rotation and his role within the organization. Head coach and 2020 Presidential candidate Gregg Popovich sat down with Aldridge before the start of training camp to hash out any issues the player had and it must have worked wonders, since Aldridge is ready to commit the next four years to San Antonio.

On the floor, things won’t change significantly for Aldridge — there just will be more of it. Post-ups and pick-and-pop mid-range jumpers in even larger portions than in previous seasons are on the menu in San Antonio this year. With the arrival of Rudy Gay, another wing who can play the four when needed, will Aldridge acquiesce to playing more center than he has in his career to this point? He has the build to play center and his shooting would be even more valuable at that spot than it is at power forward, but he’s made noise previously about not wanting to bang down low with the biggest guys in the league.

As for the financial side of things, the Spurs add another $25 million to their salary for 2019-20, when Kawhi Leonard will need his new supermax extension. Assuming relative health, that contract will start at $37.8 million and brings the Spurs to $91.5 million committed to just four players: Leonard, Aldridge, Pau Gasol ($16 million, $4.7 million guaranteed), and Patty Mills ($12.7 million). Add in a modest raise for Danny Green next summer and the Spurs are already looking at the cap with at least a half dozen roster spots still to fill.

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The curious partnership of Aldridge and the Spurs continues, with both sides willing to come to an agreement that will compensate Aldridge significantly as he ages but gives him the peace of mind that the team is committed to him and will give him the touches and shots he wants. Whether the trade rumors will quell as a result of this new agreement remains to be seen, but for now, all is well in Spursland (other than Leonard’s pesky quad).