Santi Aldama To Miss Fiba World Cup Qualifiers, Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp

The Dallas Mavericks acquired Santi Aldama early in the offseason to give them some additional versatility in the form of a big that can shoot. Daniel Gafford is not a deep threat, and although Dereck Lively has shown behind the scenes that he is working on his 3-point shot, it is likely not game-ready and neither is he. Although Aldama is arguably better suited as a power forward, he can certainly play some center minutes, bringing an intriguing element that Dallas has not had at the five spot in quite some time.

Any concerns that Aldama would not be ready for the upcoming season due to an arthroscopic procedure performed on his right knee this past March while still a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, were largely unfounded. Although that procedure ended his season, he was expected to be ready to go when training camp opened. We now know that the native of Spain had been accelerating his rehab in an effort to join his national team in the FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifying games taking place later this month. Spain is set to take on Portugal on August 28 and Greece on August 31. It has now been reported that Aldama is dashing those intentions.

Fear not, however. This apparently is not a case of any sort of setback or new injury. Rather, Aldama and the Spain national team thought better of hastening his return, opting instead to prioritize the upcoming NBA season over a rush to play in the qualifiers. This is great news for the Mavericks on multiple fronts.

The fact Aldama was progressing well enough to seriously consider a late-August return is an excellent sign. The Mavs are almost certainly going to start the season without the services of Lively, so having Aldama ready when the season tips off is important. Dusty May having too many options to tinker with is a much better option than him having too few.

Moreover, this scenario keeps Aldama rehabbing while simultaneously preventing him from any new in-game injury. While I would never begrudge a player wanting to represent his nation in international play – a true honor indeed – I am not a particularly big fan of it either. Tacking on more milage and fatigue via high-level competition in the offseason is problem enough, but should an injury occur during international play, the risk of the NBA team bearing the burden of such injury is real.

We will never know what would have transpired in the event Aldama played those two games, but it is welcome news that he will instead continue his rehab at pace and is expected to be ready for training camp in September.

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