Santi Aldama hasn’t even settled into his new Mavericks life yet, and Dallas already comes with a little history for him.
The forward said the city felt familiar long before the trade that sent him from Memphis to Dallas on July 8 as part of a six-team deal. The connection started on the road, when his wife’s first trip with him was to Dallas.
“The first time she ever came on the road with me was here in Dallas and she said it felt like home,” Aldama said. “And I felt like that, too.
She always made the trip here. Interestingly, she said I wish we lived there.
It's crazy. I'm very excited for the new chapter.”
Aldama, who became a father on May 2, is stepping into that new chapter after five seasons with the Grizzlies. He was born Jan. 10, 2001, in Las Palmas, then went 30th overall in the 2021 draft to Utah out of Loyola Maryland before his rights were dealt to Memphis. He later re-signed with the Grizzlies in June 2025 on a three-year, $52.5 million contract.
Last season was his most productive yet: 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 43 games, along with shooting splits of 47.9% from the field and 35.0% from deep.
For Aldama, the trade hit differently because it was the first one of his career.
“Everything happened super-fast,” Aldama explained. “It was weird because it was the first time happening to me.
A lot of emotions. I'm super thankful to the Grizzlies.
It had been my home for five years and got me to this spot.”
“But I'm happy for what's new, a new chapter moving here. I'm just recently a dad.
And it's one of my wife's favorite cities, too. So we're very excited to get to know everybody,” Aldama continued.
“We have a lot of people who are new here. We're excited to do nice stuff and win.
I'm happy to be here and help any way, shape or form.”
Dallas also gives him a familiar face in rookie guard Sergio de Larrea, another Spaniard who has already shared the floor with Aldama on the national team.
“He's a super-tall guard that's pass-first,” Aldama said. “You don't see many pass-first guards that are that tall.
Super-good court vision. Playing with him has always been fun.
I think, once he gets acclimated to the NBA game, he's going to do it even better. He's going to make the right read every time.”
De Larrea said having Aldama around has made the transition easier.
"It's amazing to have him here. He's helping me with the process," de Larrea told Sefko.
"We're friends and we played together on the national team and have good chemistry. It's perfect for me to have him here and to share the experience with him."
P.J. Washington already has his eye on the Spanish connection, and he joked Thursday that he’ll be digging for information once the season gets rolling.
“They've kind of been stingy. Serge and Santi, they've been speaking Spanish just to themselves,” Washington said Thursday. “So I'm going to pick their brain a little bit during the season.”
Aldama’s arrival comes while Dallas is still sorting through its frontcourt bodies. Dereck Lively II is working back from December surgery on his right foot, and rookie Morez Johnson Jr. has been limited by lower leg soreness.
On Sept. 26, everyone except Lively was able to take part in practice in some capacity. The camp roster lists Daniel Gafford, Dwight Powell, Moussa Cissé and Lively at center.
Aldama himself has been limited in camp after an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee on March 17. He had not played since a Feb. 4 game against Sacramento and chose to focus on recovery over the summer, sitting out Spain’s World Cup qualifiers against Portugal on Aug. 28 and Greece on Aug.
- On Sept. 26, coach Dusty May called it a nagging injury and said he did not know the details.
May said Sunday the 7-footer could fit as a stretch five in a death lineup. The trade that brought Aldama to Dallas also sent Marcus Sasser to the Mavericks from Detroit.
May did not say Friday whether Aldama will play in Macao, where Dallas meets the Houston Rockets on Oct. 9 and Oct. 11.
In Other News...
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For the Mavericks, the appeal is obvious. If Gafford can become even a occasional threat from deep, it would open up more room for Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving to work with in the halfcourt, stretching defenses in a way Dallas has not been able to count on from its front line. The idea is still in the early stages, but it is the kind of small tactical shift that can change how an offense feels, especially when it comes from a player who has rarely been asked to do it before. [Read more 🡒]
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Mavericks Are Betting On Daniel Gafford To Fix A Real Problem
Dallas spent much of last season wrestling with its 3-point shooting, and the new direction under Dusty May is built around finding easier offense from a few different places. Kyrie Irvings return should help stabilize the halfcourt, newcomer Sergio De Larrea is in the mix as another source of support, and the Mavericks are clearly looking for more than just a better shot diet from their guards and wings.
One of the more interesting pieces of that plan centers on Daniel Gafford, who is expected to expand his range and become a little more willing to let it fly. Gafford and May are aligned on the idea, which adds another layer to a season that already figures to ask more of Dallas frontcourt, not just around the rim but in ways that could make the entire offense less predictable. [Read more 🡒]