Santi Aldama is left out of the Spanish National Team thinking about the NBA
The new star player of the Dallas Mavericks doesn't want to gamble with his future: he won't have a substitute
Santi Aldama will not finally be with the Spanish National Team in the first window of the second phase of the qualifying campaign for the 2027 World Cup. The Canarian player, recently transferred to the Dallas Mavericks, has not managed to recover in time from the injury he has been carrying and the Spanish Basketball Federation has decided not to rush his return to the courts.
The Spanish Basketball Federation confirmed on Wednesday that Aldama had pushed his options to the limit until the last moment to try to be available for Chus Mateo. However, after an injury that required surgery, it was considered more prudent to respect his recovery timeline and avoid any risks before starting his new chapter in the NBA.
"The Canarian player has pushed his options to the maximum to be available to Chus Mateo, but, coming back from an injury that required surgery, it has been preferred not to rush his recovery times or hasten his readiness for the NBA season he will play in his new team, the Dallas Mavericks," explained the Spanish Basketball Federation.
Spain will face this window between August 24 and 31, with two important commitments on the schedule: the first against Portugal, in Zaragoza, and the second against Greece, in Athens. The presence of NBA players was one of the great novelties of this call-up, but Aldama will ultimately be the notable omission.
The Federation also wanted to highlight the commitment of the Canarian power forward to the national team. Aldama had worked to the limit to try to make it in time and be part of the team, but both the Spanish Basketball Federation and the coach have understood that the most sensible thing is not to rush his return. The player will have, according to the Federation, "a key role in future commitments of the national team."
Aldama's absence will not, however, provoke any additional modifications to the call-up. Chus Mateo has decided not to call up any player to replace him, so Spain will have 14 players for this first window of the second phase.
The final list is composed of Álvaro Cárdenas, Baba Miller, Jaime Pradilla, Darío Brizuela, Alberto Díaz, Hugo González, Izan Almansa, Willy Hernangómez, Aday Mara, Juancho Hernangómez, Santi Yusta, Joel Parra, Sergio de Larrea, and Mario Saint-Supéry.
Aldama's priority now will be to complete his recovery and arrive in the best possible condition for the start of the season with the Dallas Mavericks. Spain, on the other hand, will have to face their next two games without one of their key players, although the decision is made out of caution and also with the player's future with the national team in mind.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Santi Aldama se queda fuera de la Selección Española pensando en la NBA
