Overview
- The deal, reported Wednesday, July 1, sends Santi Aldama to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for guard AJ Johnson, a top-20-protected 2030 Golden State first-round pick and two future second-round picks.
- Dallas also received the draft rights to Tarik Biberovic as part of the transaction, while Memphis adds a young guard and extra draft capital as it retools after trading Ja Morant earlier in the week.
- Aldama is entering year two of a three-year, $52.5 million contract and comes off a career season but missed the end of 2025-26 because of knee surgery; multiple reports say he is expected to be ready for the start of next season.
- The Mavericks used a trade exception created earlier in the offseason to absorb Aldama’s salary, a move that let Dallas add him without sending out matching veteran roster pieces.
- The 2030 Warriors pick is protected for selections 1–20 and converts to a second-round pick if it does not convey, a protection that limits near-term draft value but still increases Memphis’s long-term asset base.