Santi Aldama

Early life and career

Aldama grew up in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, and started playing basketball at age three, inspired by his father and uncle, both professional players. He admired Pau Gasol, Juan Carlos Navarro, and Kobe Bryant. Despite offers from FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Gran Canaria, he chose to stay with Canterbury Basketball Academy.

At the 2017 Spanish Under-16 Championship, he averaged 18.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game, leading Canterbury to a third-place finish behind FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. In 2018, he played on loan for FC Barcelona's under-18 team in the Adidas Next Generation tournament. He committed to Loyola Maryland on 5 August 2019, surprising analysts as a four-star recruit choosing a mid-major program.

College career

Aldama missed the first three months of his freshman season after knee surgery. He made his collegiate debut on 1 February 2020, scoring 11 points in a 79–73 win over Navy. He earned Patriot League Rookie of the Week three times in four weeks and was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team. On 3 March, he scored a season-high 23 points in a loss to Lehigh.

As a freshman, he averaged 15.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.7 blocks in 10 games. On 13 February 2021, he posted 30 points and 22 rebounds in a triple-overtime loss to Lafayette, matching the Patriot League record for rebounds.

On 10 March 2021, he scored a career-high 33 points in a win over Army in the Patriot League tournament semifinals. As a sophomore, he averaged 21.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, earning First Team All-Patriot League honors. He declared for the 2021 NBA draft on 14 April 2021 and remained in the draft.

Professional career

The Utah Jazz selected Aldama with the 30th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, and his rights were traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, who signed him on 8 August 2021. On 2 December, he scored a season-high 18 points with ten rebounds in a 152–79 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was named to the All-NBA Summer League Second Team on 18 July 2022. He started the 2022–23 season as the Grizzlies' starting power forward, recording 18 points and 11 rebounds in a 115–112 overtime win over the New York Knicks on 19 October.

On 2 February 2023, he scored a career-high 21 points in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. During the 2024–25 season, he averaged 12.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 65 appearances. On 26 April 2025, he recorded 23 points in a playoff loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He re-signed with the Grizzlies on a three-year, $52.5 million contract on 30 June 2025.

In the 2025–26 season, he averaged 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 43 appearances. On 16 March 2026, he underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee and missed the rest of the season. On 8 July 2026, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks as part of a six-team trade.