Excitement for Spanish basketball! Santi Aldama will play for the Dallas Mavericks

The Memphis Grizzlies continue to reshape their roster for the future. The franchise has agreed to trade Spanish power forward Santi Aldama to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for AJ Johnson, a 2030 first-round Draft pick, and two future second-round picks.

The first-round pick that Memphis receives is from the Golden State Warriors and is Top-20 protected. Additionally, Dallas acquires the rights to Tarik Biberovic, drafted by the Grizzlies in the second round of the 2023 Draft and who has not yet played in the NBA, as he currently competes in the EuroLeague and the Turkish League.

The deal marks another step in the Grizzlies' reconstruction, as just two days earlier they surprised by trading Ja Morant. Following the departure of the point guard, Aldama temporarily became the longest-tenured player on the Memphis roster.

The 25-year-old Spanish international concludes a five-season stint with the Grizzlies, the team where he has spent his entire NBA career to date. Drafted in the first round in 2021, he progressively improved each season to have his best campaign in 2025-26.

Aldama averaged 14 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game, shooting 35% from three-point range on 4.7 attempts per game. He played a total of 278 games with Memphis, starting in 82 of them, increasing his scoring output in each of his five seasons with the franchise.

Last summer, he extended his contract with the Grizzlies. His current deal spans the next two seasons and includes a team option worth $17 million for the 2027-28 season.

Meanwhile, Dallas adds a versatile big man capable of contributing both inside and outside, strengthening their rotation with a player coming off his best season.

Memphis, Hunting Picks

Memphis, in the meantime, adds more Draft capital to their future project. Apart from the 2030 first-round pick, the franchise receives two second-round picks and young AJ Johnson.

The 21-year-old guard played 23 games with the Mavericks last season, averaging 3.9 points and 1.1 assists. Johnson was selected as the 23rd pick in the 2024 Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and now gets a new opportunity to develop within a team committed to rejuvenating its roster while stockpiling assets for the upcoming years.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, ¡Locura para el baloncesto español! Santi Aldama jugará en Dallas Mavericks