The Dallas Mavericks may already be getting the better end of their July 1 deal with Memphis, and it’s not hard to see why.
Dallas landed Santi Aldama from the Grizzlies by sending AJ Johnson, a top-20 protected 2030 first-round pick, and two future second-round picks to Memphis. The Mavericks also picked up the draft rights to EuroLeague forward Tarik Biberović in the swap.
On paper, it was a straightforward exchange of value. Memphis added draft capital, while Dallas absorbed the rest of Aldama’s three-year, $52.5 million contract.
Johnson was considered more of a depth piece for the Mavericks, so moving him didn’t change the equation much. What does change the equation is how Memphis plans to fill Aldama’s minutes.
Aldama was in the middle of a career season before a knee injury ended his year in mid-March. He finished with averages of 14 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists, while shooting 47.9% from the field and 35% from 3-point range. He’s expected to be fully healthy for training camp, and that matters for Dallas, which needs his spacing in a frontcourt that includes rookie Cooper Flagg.
Memphis, though, is turning to an unproven option. The Grizzlies are signing Golden State restricted free agent Quentin Post to a three-year offer sheet, and the 7-footer spent last season trying to carve out a steady role on the Warriors’ depth chart.
Restricted free agent Quinten Post is signing a three-year, $30 million contract offer sheet with the Memphis Grizzlies, sources tell ESPN. The Golden State Warriors have until 11:59pm ET on Tuesday to match. pic.twitter.com/cLdHmUcEgo
- Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania)
That’s the part that makes this look even better for Dallas. The Mavericks are getting a proven stretch big who just posted a career year and fits cleanly into the roster right away. Memphis is replacing a 14-point scorer with a developmental big man, and that’s a much bigger leap of faith.
In Other News...
Grizzlies Just Sent A Clear Message About Who Matters Next
The Grizzlies took a different look in their third Salt Lake City Summer League game on July 7, choosing to rest several players who had handled the first two outings and giving the finale a more experimental feel. Memphis still had enough firepower to stay competitive for stretches, but the rotation shift made the night feel less about the scoreboard and more about which pieces the organization wanted to protect and evaluate next.
Memphis fell to the Hawks 96-82, with Brendan Hausen providing the scoring punch, while Taylor Hendricks returned after sitting out the previous game because of injury. The bigger picture now turns to Las Vegas, where the Grizzlies are expected to get their rested players back and continue sorting out who is actually part of the next wave. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Fans Have One Big Question About Memphis Latest Trade
Khris Middletons move to Washington is only part of a sprawling sign-and-trade that has tied together the Wizards, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Pistons, Clippers and Bucks, and Memphis is right in the middle of it. For Grizzlies fans, the headline is less about where Middleton ended up and more about what the team chose to take back in the shuffle, since the franchise used a complicated multi-team deal to add another layer to its offseason work.
The real question now is how Memphis plans to handle the incoming guard piece and the draft capital attached to the trade. The Grizzlies have been active in reshaping the roster around their core, and this kind of move usually signals flexibility as much as it does a clear long-term fit, which is why the next step here matters almost as much as the trade itself. [Read more 🡒]