Mavericks' Santi Aldama trade looks even better after AJ Johnson gets moved again

The Dallas Mavericks traded for Santi Aldama earlier this summer, and this move seemed like a steal right away. Dallas needed a forward with size who could stretch the floor, and he is poised to complement Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford well. Their center rotation had no shooting beforehand, and Aldama gives them a needed change of pace in the frontcourt to kick off the Dusty May era.

Memphis gave up on AJ Johnson right away

Aldama could have a major role right away depending on how the rest of the center rotation shakes out, and one of the players they gave up to get him, AJ Johnson, has already been traded by the Memphis Grizzlies before playing a game for them. Dallas sent Johnson to Memphis as part of the six-team deal to acquire Aldama, and the Grizzlies' decision to trade him this quickly further justifies the Mavericks' decision to move on after just 23 games.

Memphis didn't even give him a chance to see how he fit next to Cameron Boozer, Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells, and the rest of their young core. With the Grizzlies being deep in a rebuild and looking to bring in young players, this says something about how they felt about 21-year-old AJ Johnson.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Memphis is trading Johnson and Taj Gibson to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy, a second-round pick, and a second-round pick swap. The Grizzlies clearly got the better end of the deal, as they acquired a former lottery pick in Hawkins and a second-year player with potential in Peavy for 41-year-old Taj Gibson and Johnson.

Dallas didn't believe in him either

Johnson will now be on his fifth team before even playing in the first game of his third season, and the Mavs were smart to trade him when they did.

Dallas acquired Johnson in the Anthony Davis trade with the Washington Wizards in February, and while there was initially some excitement from fans about his potential as a second-year player and a former first-round pick, this hype quickly went away. The young guard averaged just 3.9 points per game as a Maverick while shooting 32.3 percent from the field and 15.6 percent from long range.

His struggles as a shooter made him a wonky fit on a Mavericks team that desperately needed more 3-point shooting, and while his speed in the open court looked promising at times, his game is still extremely raw.

Why Johnson never fit on the Mavericks

He looks multiple years away from being an NBA rotation player, and his skinny frame at 6-foot-5 makes it hard for him to fit at either guard position. He's not a good enough playmaker to be a point guard and not skilled enough on the wing to be a shooting guard.

Johnson still needs to get stronger and have tons of developmental reps before he is ready to play real minutes, and the Mavs didn't have time to wait on him. Even though they're in the middle of a mini rebuild, it never seemed like Johnson was going to be a long-term fit.

The details of the Mavs' Santi Aldama trade look even better for Dallas after seeing that Johnson is heading to New Orleans, and this trade could turn into even more of a win for the Mavericks if Aldama flourishes next season.

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