The Dallas Mavericks added a veteran big man to their rebuilding roster Wednesday, agreeing to acquire Santi Aldama from the Memphis Grizzlies. In return, Dallas sends guard AJ Johnson, a 2030 first-round pick, and two future second-round picks to Memphis. The Mavericks also received the draft rights to Tarik Biberovic in the deal, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Aldama, 24, averaged 14 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last season. It was his fifth year in the league after Memphis selected him with the No. 30 overall pick in the 2021 draft. His season was cut short after he underwent knee surgery in March and appeared in just 43 games. He is expected to be healthy and ready to play at the start of the 2026-27 season.
He is in the second year of a three-year, $52.5 million contract that includes a team option on the final season.
Johnson played 23 games with Dallas after arriving before last season's trade deadline. He averaged 3.9 points and one rebound per game off the bench. Biberovic is 26 and has spent eight seasons playing professionally in Europe for Fenerbahçe. The Grizzlies selected him in the second round of the 2023 draft, but he has not yet played in the NBA.
The Mavericks went 26-56 last season, their worst record in nearly a decade, and missed the playoffs. The franchise has been in the middle of a full organizational reset since then. Dallas hired Masai Ujiri as president and Mike Schmitz as general manager before bringing in Dusty May as head coach. May came to Dallas after leading Michigan to a national championship. With the ninth pick in last month's draft, the Mavericks selected former Michigan standout Morez Johnson Jr.
Aldama joins a roster that still includes Kyrie Irving, who enters the season as a veteran presence for a young group. Dallas is working to move past the era that followed the Luka Dončić trade and is building around a new core.
Memphis is also rebuilding. The Grizzlies dealt Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. They finished 25-57 last season and also missed the playoffs. Acquiring Johnson and future picks gives Memphis additional assets as the organization looks toward the future.
