NBA free agency always brings surprises. To many NBA fans, Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama getting a three-year, $52.5M deal to return to Memphis comes as a surprise.
To those who watch way too much basketball, this is an excellent deal for both sides. If anything, Memphis got value here. Aldama is a critical sixth man for the Grizzlies, one they often use to close games. He has a ton of size at 6’11” and defends very well. Aldama also moves the ball well as a connective passer, can shoot well on strong volume, and pairs easily with Jaren Jackson Jr. JJJ signed a huge deal to stay in Memphis earlier, so the duo will stay together for the next few years.
Aldama, 24, gets a sizable deal that may be a slight underpay for his impact. But this does set him up for a massive payday at 27, when he can hit unrestricted free agency. Per dunksandthrees.com, creators of the Estimated Plus-Minus metric, Aldama had an 82nd percentile impact among all NBA players. That firmly places him in the top-100 contributors in the league.
His skillset, mixed with his size, is the archetype many teams are searching for. Memphis did well in retaining him on what could be a bargain contract. For Aldama, he gets a massive pay raise and stability with the Grizzlies. Memphis likely needs to make some cost-cutting moves after this, but it’s more than worth it for GM Zach Kleiman.
Aldama may not be a household name for NBA fans. But his star will continue to rise in the coming years.
