Mavericks' sudden Santi Aldama injury scare is now nothing to worry about

One of the Dallas Mavericks' biggest pickups this summer was trading for Santi Aldama. The Mavericks have needed a stretch big for some time now, and the shooting and offensive versatility he provides is extremely intriguing for a team that needed a change of pace in the frontcourt.

Dereck Lively II, Moussa Cisse, and Daniel Gafford are all rim rollers who don't have an outside game, and Aldama will bring a balance that gives their offense a new wrinkle. Dallas prioritized putting more floor spacing around Cooper Flagg this summer, and that happens to be one of Aldama's specialties.

Santi Aldama won't play in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers

While Mavericks fans are eager to see Aldama take the court next season, an injury update on the 7-footer was a bit concerning on Wednesday morning. BasketNews reported that Aldama will "miss Spain's FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifiers to prioritize recovery following surgery." He was originally expected to play for his home country this summer, and this update caught Mavericks fans by surprise.

MFFLs have already been through enough when it comes to injuries to the team's big men, as Lively II has played fewer than 100 games through the first three seasons of his career while Gafford has played fewer than 60 games in back-to-back seasons. Neither center has been able to stay on the court as of late, and Aldama not being available to start the year after missing FIBA play would have been a bad start to his Mavericks career.

This was a scary scenario that fans couldn't completely rule out.

Aldama not playing for Spain is nothing to worry about

Despite the sudden fear that hit many Mavericks fans on Wednesday, NBA insider Marc Stein calmed things down afterward. According to Stein, "the belief in Dallas, I'm told, is Santi Aldama will be ready for training camp when practices start." The Mavs' training camp is expected to begin around September 23, and Aldama being expected to be cleared by then is great news for Dallas.

Aldama had knee surgery in March, and having him ready for training camp would be massive. This will ensure that he is on the same page with his new teammates before the season begins, and with Lively II potentially not being healthy to begin the year, Aldama being available would give the Mavericks much-needed depth.

Why Aldama staying on the court is crucial for Dallas

Once Lively II is healthy, the Mavericks are poised to have a center rotation of Gafford, Aldama, Lively II, Cisse, and Morez Johnson Jr. Dallas' frontcourt is stacked, and even if they decide to trade Gafford, they will have incredible depth at a position that was a major question mark last season.

Dusty May will need everyone to stay healthy if the Mavericks want to have a bounce-back season, and this starts with Aldama and the rest of the frontcourt. The former Memphis Grizzly is quietly a major X factor heading into the 2026-27 season due to his diverse skill set, and despite not playing in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers, he should be ready to go for training camp.

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