DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki said Monday that he has followed Santi Aldama for years and is looking forward to seeing him with the Dallas Mavericks, in a phone interview with Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.
Nowitzki views the fit around Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg as the larger question for Dallas. Both will spend plenty of time with the ball.
“I like Santi a lot. I’ve watched him a lot the last few years in Memphis. Super smart. Long. Can play. Can do a little bit of everything,” Nowitzki said. “I’m excited about him.”
Aldama, 25, is a 7-footer from Spain who went 30th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft and spent his first five seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Santi Aldama’s Career-Best Season
Aldama played 43 games last season with 11 starts and averaged 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 27.9 minutes. All three were career highs.
He totaled 602 points, 287 rebounds, and 126 assists over 1,198 minutes, adding 37 steals and 31 blocks. He shot 47.9% from the field, 35.0% from three, and 66.7% from the line for a 57.2% true shooting mark.
Aldama’s season was over by mid-March. Memphis said March 15 that he would have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, along with an orthobiologic injection, because of ongoing discomfort. At the time, the Grizzlies expected him to be ready for the next season.
Aldama will not play for Spain in European qualifying for the 2027 World Cup while he continues working back, as Dallas Sports Journal reported.
How The Mavericks Got Him
Dallas agreed to acquire Aldama and the draft rights to Bosnian forward Tarik Biberović on July 1, sending AJ Johnson, a protected 2030 first-round pick originally from Golden State, and two future second-round picks to Memphis. The deal became part of a six-team trade that was finalized July 8.
Johnson was the No. 23 pick in the 2024 draft. He averaged 3.3 points in 48 games split between Dallas and Washington last season.
Memphis was in the middle of a broader roster overhaul. The Grizzlies sent Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, moved Jaren Jackson Jr. elsewhere, lost Desmond Bane, and used first-round picks on Cameron Boozer at No. 3 and Karim Lopez.
Aldama is playing the second year of a three-year, $52.5 million deal. The contract includes a team option for 2027-28.
Where Santi Aldama Fits
Dallas has Dereck Lively II working back from his own foot surgery. Daniel Gafford is under contract through an extension, and rookie Morez Johnson Jr. joined the frontcourt as the No. 9 pick.
“I like some of the additions,” Nowitzki explained. “It’s all about finding the right mix who can play off of Kyrie and Cooper.”
Dallas has not seen Aldama play a game in its uniform. The Mavericks finished 26-56, open training camp before Sept. 29, and play the Houston Rockets on Oct. 9 and Oct. 11 at The Venetian Arena in Macau, China, in the NBA Global Games.
