The NBA offseason is in full chaos mode, and the Memphis Grizzlies are getting in on the action.
The NBA offseason is in full chaos mode, and the Memphis Grizzlies are getting in on the action.
According to a report from ESPN's Shams Charania, the Grizzlies are sending big man Santi Aldama and the draft rights to former second-round pick Tarik Biberovic to the Dallas Mavericks.
In exchange, the Grizzlies will acquire guard AJ Johnson and draft capital. The draft haul includes a protected first-round pick.
While not necessarily a blockbuster, the trade continues a busy day around the league.
The move marks the end of Aldama's stint with the Grizzlies after five seasons. He is the biggest name involved in the deal after becoming a very solid piece in recent seasons.
In the 2025-26 campaign, he averaged 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game for Memphis while shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from 3-point range.
Biberovic, whose draft rights are heading to Dallas in the deal, was a second-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. As a draft-and-stash guy, he has yet to make his NBA debut.
The Grizzlies can feel good about acquiring a package of draft picks in the trade, and they will also get a chance to see if Johnson can bring something to the table.
Johnson was a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and while he has struggled to get his footing at the NBA level so far, he is still just 21 years old. He has bounced around the league a bit already and has career averages of 4.9 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
Overall, the move doesn't do much to help Memphis' trajectory for the 2026-27 season, but it could be a deal that pays dividends down the line.
The Grizzlies are entering a new era after selecting prized prospect Cameron Boozer in the 2026 NBA Draft and trading away former franchise cornerstone Ja Morant this week. As such, there are likely to be growing pains in the immediate future, but the hope is that the process will eventually yield long-term results.
Memphis missed the playoffs in the 2025-26 season for the second time in three years. The organization is without a series win in the playoffs since the 2021-22 season, which was Aldama's rookie campaign.
Now, he'll get a fresh start with the Mavs, and the Grizzlies will enter next season with a roster that is looking increasingly different to anyone who has followed the team in recent years.
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