Frisco, Texas — The Dallas Mavericks formally added a pair of players to their roster on July 6, finalizing trades for forward Santi Aldama and guard Marcus Sasser once the league moratorium concluded. ESPN reported that Memphis sent Aldama to Dallas for AJ Johnson, a top-20 protected 2030 first-round pick via the Warriors, and two future second-round selections.
Aldama, listed at 7 feet, set personal bests with 14 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per contest last season. He drained 35 percent of his three-point attempts over 4.7 tries per game. The five-year veteran improved his scoring output every season in Memphis, and Dallas also obtained the rights to Tarik Biberovic, who competes in EuroLeague and the Turkish Basketball Super League after being drafted by Memphis in the second round in 2023.
Sasser joins the Mavericks from the Pistons, who picked him 25th overall in 2023. The guard registered 5.2 points and 2.0 dimes in 38 games last season while shooting 41.5 percent from deep. Marc Stein noted that the same Golden State 2030 first-rounder, acquired by Dallas in the Anthony Davis trade, served as the linchpin for both transactions.
