Santi Aldama injury update brings Mavericks closer to a much-needed boost

The Dallas Mavericks' top trade acquisition from the summer, Santi Aldama, still hasn't made his debut for the team after four games. The 7-foot forward is still recovering from a March right-knee surgery, but it looks like his return is coming very soon.

Santi Aldama is nearing a return for the Mavericks

Dusty May has said Aldama's return is close and that he's progressing, and the latest update from the team reflects this as well. The Mavericks announced that he has "been assigned to the Texas Legends to practice with the team as part of his return to play protocol. He will scrimmage with the team and be recalled following practice without appearing in any games for the Legends."

Practicing with the Legends is typically a good sign when it comes to players' recoveries from various injuries, as Aldama will get to play in some five-on-five action under the supervision of the team's staff. This is usually the first step Mavs players take when they're working back from a serious injury, and his return could be coming sooner rather than later.

Aldama gives Dallas something they haven't had

This is great news for Dallas, as Aldama's addition to the lineup is needed and will give their frontcourt a huge boost. The Mavericks are off to a decent start at 2-2 despite being in the middle of a tough stretch, and Aldama's return will give their offense an entirely different look while providing strong help-side defense with his big frame on the other end.

While Daniel Gafford and Morez Johnson Jr. have performed well, Aldama is a completely different player with a valuable skill set.

Johnson Jr. and Gafford do most of their work inside the paint, but Aldama is known for his 3-point shooting, connectivity, and versatility.

Dallas has improved from long range after shooting 34.4 percent from three last season, but they still need some more shooting around their stars to fully maximize them. Being able to utilize a five-out lineup with a 7-footer who can knock down threes is not something that Mavs fans have seen much of since Dirk Nowitzki retired, and Aldama can fill up the stat sheet from beyond the arc.

Aldama gives the Mavericks' frontcourt another dimension

He shot 35 percent from three on 4.7 attempts per game for the Memphis Grizzlies last season, and adding another shooter to the mix will be huge for Dallas. Aldama gives the Mavs someone who can knock down open shots, operate out of the pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop, and make the right reads out of the short roll.

He can play alongside the Mavs' other centers as a power forward or be the lone center, giving May more lineup combinations to utilize as he figures out his rotation in his first season as a head coach. Lineups in which Aldama serves as the only center will open up driving lanes for Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg, and the groups in which he plays power forward will give them much more size and rebounding in the frontcourt compared to if they trotted out a traditional power forward.

Dallas' current big man rotation is fairly limited when it comes to different looks it can throw at the defense, and Aldama's return could have a bigger impact than anyone realizes. He gives the Mavs a big man with good size who can space the floor, play multiple positions, and keep the ball moving, and we could see the Mavs' 13th-ranked offense take a jump once he makes his debut.

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