sports
Grizzlies trade forward Santi Aldama to Mavericks for guard and draft picks
The Memphis Grizzlies traded forward Santi Aldama to the Dallas Mavericks for guard AJ Johnson, a 2030 first-round pick and two future second-round picks. The first-round pick is top-20 protected and comes via the Golden State Warriors. The Mavericks also received the draft rights to Tarik Biberovic.
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The Memphis Grizzlies traded forward Santi Aldama to the Dallas Mavericks for guard AJ Johnson, a 2030 first-round pick and two future second-round picks, sources told ESPN. The first-round pick is top-20 protected and originates from the Golden State Warriors.
The Mavericks also acquired the draft rights to Tarik Biberovic, a 2023 second-round selection who has not appeared in an NBA game and currently plays in the EuroLeague and Turkish Basketball Super League. Aldama, 25, spent his entire NBA career with the Grizzlies after being selected in the first round of the 2021 draft.
He appeared in 278 games with 82 starts, averaging a career-high 14 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists last season while shooting 35 percent from three-point range.
Contract and roster context Aldama signed a new contract last summer that covers the next two seasons and includes a $17 million team option for 2027-28. He increased his scoring average in each of his five seasons with Memphis. The trade occurred days after the Grizzlies dealt star guard Ja Morant, at which point Aldama briefly became the longest-tenured player on the roster.
Johnson appeared in 23 games for Dallas last season, averaging 3.9 points and 1.1 assists. The 21-year-old was selected 23rd overall in the 2024 draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.
