The Memphis Grizzlies are officially moving on from every last remnant of that 56-win team. Santi Aldama was the final guy still standing from the 2021-22 squad after the Ja Morant trade went down. On Wednesday, the Grizzlies shipped him to Dallas.
Here’s the full deal:
Grizzlies get: AJ Johnson, a top-20 protected 2030 first-round pick (via Golden State, turns into a second-rounder if it doesn’t convey), and two second-round picks.
Mavericks get: Santi Aldama.
Memphis got what they needed
The Grizzlies have a roster problem. A good problem, but still a problem. They drafted Cameron Boozer and Karim Lopez in 2026, traded for Isaiah Stewart, and suddenly they’ve got more than 15 guaranteed contracts for a frontcourt that only has so many minutes. Something had to give.
Aldama made sense as the guy to move. He’s got two years left on his deal at about $34 million total, with a team option on the second year. That flexibility matters. If a team decides it doesn’t work out, they can walk away with no long-term headache. Memphis didn’t take back any ugly salary either. Johnson is a lottery ticket who hasn’t shown much in two seasons, and he might not even survive the Grizzlies’ final roster cuts.
The real value here is the picks. Sure, that Golden State first-rounder is top-20 protected and the Warriors are trending down, so there’s a real chance it never conveys and turns into a second-rounder. But even if that happens, Memphis still walks away with three second-round picks for a guy who was about to get lost in the rotation. That’s a solid return for a team in rebuild mode.
Grade: B+
Dallas keeps trying to stay relevant
The Mavericks are still recovering from the Luka Doncic trade. That scar isn’t going anywhere. But the front office is trying to stay competitive while Cooper Flagg develops into whatever he’s going to be. Aldama gives them a big who can handle the ball, shoot it (48/45/67 last season), and play alongside other bigs without stepping on toes.
But here’s the thing. Dallas already has Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II at center. They’ve got PJ Washington at power forward and just drafted Morez Johnson Jr. Cooper Flagg, Naji Marshall, and Caleb Martin can all slide up positions too. So where exactly does Aldama fit? He’s not a rim protector. He’s not a lockdown defender. He’s a skilled offensive big who needs the right cover on defense.
The Mavs used a trade exception from the Anthony Davis deal to make this work. That exception was a resource. And they burned a first-round pick (even a protected one) plus two seconds for a guy who doesn’t fix a clear weakness. When you don’t have many draft assets left to trade, you have to be more careful with them.
Grade: C
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