In 2020–21, Aldridge missed eight of San Antonio's final 11 games before the NBA All-Star break due to hip and quadriceps injuries. They were 6–2 in the games that he missed. He was a reserve in the three games that he did play, the first time he came off the bench since he was a rookie with Portland. After the break, Aldridge and the Spurs mutually agreed that he would not return to the team, and he was granted permission to seek out opportunities with other teams. He was averaging 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 25.9 minutes per game for the season. On March 25, 2021, Aldridge reached a contract buyout agreement with San Antonio.