Fort Worth, Texas — The Dallas Mavericks added a veteran presence to their frontcourt this week, acquiring 7-footer Santi Aldama from the Memphis Grizzlies in a deal that sends second-year guard AJ Johnson, a protected first-round pick, and two second-rounders to Tennessee.
Aldama, 25, posted career-best numbers last season with 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game before his campaign was cut short by knee surgery in March. He is expected to be ready for the start of the upcoming season. The Spaniard shot 35 percent from beyond the arc on nearly five attempts per contest, giving Dallas a floor-spacing big man for new coach Dusty May's system.
Memphis received Johnson, who logged 23 games with the Mavericks after joining the club at last season's trade deadline and contributed 3.9 points per appearance. The Grizzlies also obtained a 2030 Golden State Warriors first-round pick protected through the top 20, plus a pair of future second-round choices. Dallas gained the draft rights to Tarik Biberovic, a Turkish-league forward Memphis selected in the second round of the 2023 draft.
The trade represents the latest move in a sweeping Dallas reset. The organization brought in Masai Ujiri as president and Mike Schmitz as general manager before hiring May, who guided Michigan to a national championship, as head coach. Dallas then selected Morez Johnson Jr. ninth overall in last month's draft. The Mavericks stumbled to a 26-56 record last season and missed the playoffs entirely.
