The Memphis Grizzlies are making another major roster move after trading Ja Morant.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Grizzlies are trading forward Santi Aldama to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for AJ Johnson, a protected 2030 Golden State Warriors first-round pick and two future second-round picks.
For Memphis, the deal is another sign that the franchise is not trying to patch together the old version of the Grizzlies. It is moving past it.
The Aldama trade comes shortly after Memphis agreed to send Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, a deal that ended Morant’s turbulent Grizzlies tenure and removed the two remaining years and roughly $87 million left on his contract.
Aldama’s exit gives the Grizzlies another future first-round pick, two more second-rounders and a young guard in Johnson. It also removes a productive frontcourt player who had just been part of Memphis’ next phase.
Grizzlies Move Santi Aldama After Signing Him to New Deal
Aldama was not a throw-in. He had become one of the more useful players left on the Grizzlies’ roster, and his contract made him a real trade chip.
The 24-year-old agreed to a three-year, $52.5 million deal to stay with Memphis in 2025, according to ESPN. He averaged 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 47.9% from the field in the 2025-26 season.
That production is exactly why Dallas had reason to pursue him.
Aldama gives the Mavericks size, shooting touch and frontcourt flexibility. At 7 feet, he can play next to a traditional center, function as a stretch big or help bridge lineups when Dallas wants more skill in the frontcourt. For a Mavericks team trying to build around a new core, that kind of player is easier to fit than to find.
For Memphis, the decision says something different. The Grizzlies were willing to move a 24-year-old rotation forward on a multiyear deal because the draft return mattered more than keeping another solid veteran-age piece around a roster that is clearly changing.
That is the larger story.
Memphis did not just trade Morant and then stop. The Grizzlies followed by moving Aldama, turning one of their better remaining players into another first-round pick and additional second-round capital.
AJ Johnson Gives Memphis a Developmental Guard
Johnson is the player coming back to Memphis, and he fits the type of swing a rebuilding team can justify.
The 21-year-old guard was the No. 23 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. He is listed at 6-foot-5 and averaged 3.3 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in the 2025-26 season.
Those numbers do not make Johnson the headline of the trade. The pick does.
But Johnson does give Memphis a young, athletic guard on a manageable rookie-scale contract. Spotrac lists Johnson’s four-year rookie deal at $14.6 million, with a 2025-26 cap hit of just over $3 million.
That matters for a Grizzlies team trying to reset its books and rebuild its asset base. Johnson does not need to become a star for the trade to make sense. If he develops into a rotation guard, Memphis gets a useful young player at a low number. If not, the deal is still mostly about the protected Warriors first-round pick and the extra seconds.
The protected 2030 Warriors pick is especially interesting because of its timeline. Golden State’s current era may look very different by then, making any future Warriors first-rounder worth monitoring, depending on the protection details and how it ultimately conveys.
Memphis’ Post-Ja Morant Direction Is Getting Clearer
The Grizzlies’ message is becoming harder to miss.
After years of building around Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane, Memphis is now prioritizing flexibility, draft capital and younger pieces. The Morant trade came during a broader roster reshaping, with Memphis also having moved other core players as part of its reset.
That context is what makes the Aldama deal more than a simple transaction.
Aldama could have helped the Grizzlies next season. He could have played real minutes with Grant, Murray, GG Jackson, Zach Edey and the rest of Memphis’ frontcourt options. He also had the kind of size and offensive feel that tends to hold value around the league.
Instead, Memphis cashed him out.
That does not mean the Grizzlies are done making moves. It may mean the opposite. Once a team starts converting solid players into future picks, the next question becomes which veterans still fit the timeline and which ones could be next.
For Grizzlies fans, the trade is another reminder that the franchise is not trying to preserve the last era. It is building the next one, even if that means moving a player like Aldama before he ever fully became part of it.
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