Santi Aldama Expected To Receive Offers At Full Mid Level Exception

Santi Aldama is expected to be one of the more sought after free agents this offseason with mid-level contract offers awaiting him from rival teams. Aladama is a restricted free agent after he was the 30th overall pick in the 2021 draft by the Memphis Grizzlies.

“Because Santi Aldama has full mid-level deals, I think, waiting for him,” said Zach Lowe on Saturday. “At least that’s the scuttlebutt I’ve heard: that he is sought after enough by a team like Detroit, for instance, with the full mid-level. There’s a lot of teams with the full mid-level. He’s an interesting kind of combination of skills, and I think they’re going to have to pay to retain him. And when you have full mid-level deals, if you do in the open market, your incumbent team might have to pay a little bit more than that using your bird rights to do it, and then they’d have the salary cap room exception on top of that.”

Aldama, who is represented by Max Saidman, Steven Heumann, Aaron Mintz and Austin Brown, averaged 12.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists to go with a PER of 16.6 last season.

The Grizzlies are widely expected to do everything within their power to extend Jaren Jackson Jr. and to re-sign Aldama this offseason. Aldama and Jackson are both CAA clients.