Mavs Injury Update: Major Frontcourt Boost Coming With Santi Aldama Return?

DALLAS - The Dallas Mavs have played eight games without one of the frontcourt pieces they spent the summer acquiring ... and that changes Friday.

Santi Aldama was upgraded to probable for the Mavericks' NBA Cup group-stage game against the Utah Jazz, putting him in line to make his Dallas debut after recovering from knee surgery in March. Max Christie was also upgraded to probable with hip soreness after sitting out Wednesday's one-point loss in San Antonio. Sergio de Larrea, Tarik Biberovic and Dereck Lively II remain out.

Aldama's potential return is more significant by a wide margin. The 25-year-old arrived in the six-team blockbuster trade that reshaped the roster in June, coming over from Memphis after a career year in which he averaged 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 35.3 percent from 3-point range.

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That shooting is what Dallas has badly needed. The Mavericks built their roster around size this offseason, with a frontcourt rotation featuring Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, Morez Johnson Jr. and Moussa Cisse. None of them reliably stretches the floor. Gafford has attempted exactly one 3-pointer all season, Johnson made the first 3-pointer of his career Wednesday in San Antonio and Washington has been an inconsistent shooter from distance throughout his career.

Aldama changes the geometry of the offense. A big man who can shoot from 25 feet forces opposing centers away from the rim. That opens driving lanes for Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving and gives coach Dusty May lineup combinations he has not had available. Playing Aldama at center with Flagg at power forward is the type of lineup the front office presumably envisioned when it made the trade.

His size also would have helped Wednesday. Dallas had no answer for Victor Wembanyama's 52-point, 24-rebound performance. A 6-foot-11 player who can defend without fouling is exactly what the Mavericks lacked as the Spurs collected 22 offensive rebounds.

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The timing matters beyond Aldama's return. Dallas has lost two straight after falling 115-100 at home to a winless Sacramento team Monday and losing 112-111 in San Antonio despite erasing a 17-point halftime deficit. The Mavericks sit at 4-4 and 11th in the Western Conference.

Utah offers a reasonable landing spot for Aldama's first game. The Jazz are 1-7 and will be without Jusuf Nurkic and Jaren Jackson Jr. That should give Dallas room to experiment with lineups rather than needing everything to work immediately.

There is also a bit of symmetry. Utah drafted Aldama 30th overall in 2021 before trading his rights to Memphis on draft night. His first game in a Mavericks uniform could come against the franchise that selected him.

There are NBA Cup stakes, too. Dallas opened group play with a win over Houston last Friday and can move to 2-0 in West Group A with another victory.

Tipoff is at 7 p.m. CT at American Airlines Center.