Dallas, Texas — The Dallas Mavericks continued their offseason roster overhaul Wednesday by acquiring forward-center Santi Aldama from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for guard AJ Johnson, a protected 2030 first-round pick, and two future second-round selections, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Aldama, 25, is coming off a career year in which he averaged 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists across 43 games before season-ending knee surgery in March. The 7-footer connected on 35 percent of his three-point attempts on 4.7 tries per game, offering Dallas a stretch-big who can space the floor alongside reigning Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving and first-round pick Morez Johnson Jr.
Dallas also picked up the draft rights to Tarik Biberovic, a 2023 Grizzlies second-round selection who has spent the last eight seasons with Fenerbahce in the EuroLeague and has yet to make his NBA debut. The Spanish forward adds another international piece to a roster being reshaped under new head coach Dusty May, president Masai Ujiri, and general manager Mike Schmitz.
The price for Aldama centered on Johnson, a 21-year-old who appeared in 23 games for Dallas after arriving at the trade deadline, averaging 3.9 points off the bench. The 2030 first-round pick incoming to Memphis is via the Golden State Warriors and carries top-20 protection. Memphis, which traded star guard Ja Morant to Portland earlier in the week, continued accumulating future draft capital in its own rebuild.
