Grizzlies To Trade Santi Aldama To Mavericks

Charania adds (via Twitter) that the move will allow the Grizzlies to preserve their $28.9MM trade exception from the Jaren Jackson Jr. deal, which suggests that Memphis will use Aldama’s outgoing salary to take in Isaiah Stewart in their deal with the Pistons. That would mean either combining them into a single transaction or completing the Aldama deal first in order to create a $17MM trade exception to fit Stewart into.

Aldama’s $17MM salary will slot into Dallas’ $20.8MM trade exception from the Anthony Davis trade, says Marks (Twitter link). The Spanish big man’s deal has a $17MM team option for the 2027/28 season. The Mavs are still $22MM away from the luxury tax line and have the ability to use their $15MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception as well as their $5.5MM biannual exception, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (Twitter link).

The Grizzlies were facing a logjam in their big man rotation, having drafted Cameron Boozer and Karim Lopez, added Stewart, Jerami Grant, and Kris Murray via trade, retained Olivier-Maxence Prosper and GG Jackson II, and will hopefully have a healthy season from starting center Zach Edey. That left few minutes for Aldama at either the power forward or center spot.

He will go to a Dallas organization that also has a good amount of depth in the frontcourt after drafting Morez Johnson Jr. with the No. 9 pick this year. However, his shooting ability and positional versatility should give him more of a chance to carve out a role, especially if one of Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively II is moved this summer.

Over the last three seasons, Aldama has averaged 12.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while starting 62 of his 169 games.