Santi Aldama is easing his way through Mavericks training camp as Dallas takes a cautious approach with the forward’s right knee.
Aldama, acquired from Memphis in a July trade, has been limited while he continues recovering from an arthroscopic procedure he had in March. He also missed the World Cup qualifiers last month. New head coach Dusty May said the medical staff is making daily calls on who can go, and he made it clear Aldama is involved in some capacities even if he is not fully “out-out.”
May also sees a path for Aldama to matter as a center who can pull defenses apart.
“Santi, obviously, being a seven-footer, could be a heck of a stretch five in a death lineup. The problem is the other teams don’t put the fives on him,” May said.
“Do we have a group that can go punish a five elsewhere or can he punish a three man or four man, whoever they put on him? So I think, once again, lineup versatility, skill, he gives us a different dimension if we want to go with an elite shooting lineup, but Santi’s not just a shooter.
He can read a closeout. He’s learned to play against perimeter guys, shot (fake), drive and get in the paint, kick and finish it over.
So those will be one of the many challenges and the pieces we have to put together for it to be really good.”
May had plenty to say about Daniel Gafford, too, even with the center’s name popping up in trade talk. The new staff dug into Gafford’s numbers and came away convinced about one thing: he finishes at the rim with elite efficiency.
“And then you watch him and his ability to score quickly, score through contact, move the ball around. It’s something that he already can hang his hat on,” May said.
“We’re just trying to add a little more to his game as far as being a playmaking decision maker on the perimeter. And also, in our words, he’d be a connector on offense.
And then just getting to play more efficiently. He’s going to shoot a few rhythm threes.
He’s going to rim protect. We’ve got to get him a little bit better at switching on the smaller players, but he has a lot of ways that he can help this team.”
There was also a little surprise built into Dallas’ lottery pick. May said he was caught off guard when the Mavericks selected Morez Johnson Jr., who played for him on Michigan’s national championship team. He missed a text from president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri and had no idea which player was coming until the pick was announced.
“So I was shocked. Their agents started looking at me.
Morez and Aday (Mara) have the same agency,” May said. “So they started looking at me.
So at that point, I used some deductive reasoning and figured it was one of the two, but I didn’t know which one.”
Max Christie has already noticed how hands-on May has been in his first camp running the team. Christie said the coach’s voice has been constant and his presence around the group has stood out.
“His involvement with us as players and his voice is, he’s just being so vocal, especially for a first-year head coach,” Christie said. “And it’s been very fun to be coached by him. It’s been a pleasure to watch, to see how he thinks the game, how he puts players in positions to score and be successful.”
In Other News...
Mavericks Bring Back Dwight Powell And Now A Tough Call Awaits
Dwight Powell is officially back in Dallas, adding another familiar veteran presence to a roster that already looks full on paper. The Mavericks have been working to keep him in the fold, and league sources say the commitment to bring him back comes with the expectation that the front office will keep looking for ways to make it work.
For now, the issue is less about Powells fit than the mechanics of fitting him in. Dallas already has a crowded standard-contract situation, so the next move will have to come from somewhere else on the roster, and that leaves the Mavericks weighing a decision they would probably rather avoid this late in the summer. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Rookies Already Face Two Very Different Early Tests
One rookie is easing back into the mix while another is already in the middle of a long adjustment project. Morez Johnson Jr., the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, has been limited in practice because of left calf soreness, though he is close to returning to full participation. For a Mavericks team trying to sort out roles and rhythm early, his availability matters, especially with the club pushing a faster pace this season.
Sergio De Larrea, taken No. 25, has taken a different path so far. The guard has been leaning on veteran Santi Aldama and assistant coach Willie Green as he learns how NBA defenses are treating him and works to sharpen the finer points of his game, all while adjusting to a tempo that fits with his EuroLeague background. The two rookies are facing very different early tests, but both are part of the same larger question for Dallas: how quickly can this class start looking ready? [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Frontcourt Depth Suddenly Looks A Lot Less Settled
The Mavericks frontcourt picture has been cloudier than expected in the first week of camp, with multiple bigs either working back from surgery or easing into on-court work. Morez Johnson Jr. has been limited while he recovers from an unspecified issue, and the team is still trying to sort through how much immediate help it can count on inside as the season approaches.
Dusty May has at least offered some encouragement on Johnson, saying the rookie is close to returning, but his availability for the opener is still in question. Dereck Lively II remains in recovery mode after December foot surgery, while Santi Aldama is also limited following March knee surgery, leaving Dallas with a frontcourt depth chart that suddenly looks far less settled than it did a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]