What changed
Santi Aldama will not make his Mavericks debut in Wednesday’s season opener. Dallas listed him out as he continues returning from the right-knee procedure that ended his final season in Memphis.
The decision follows several days of incremental progress without clearance. Dusty May said Sunday that Aldama had moved in the right direction, then described him as limited in Tuesday’s practice.
Dallas has not announced a public return date. The next game is Friday at Indiana, but that schedule entry is an opportunity for another status update, not a promise that Aldama will play.
Without him in Houston, Dallas loses a seven-foot frontcourt option whose shooting and closeout attacks could have changed the spacing around Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg.
OUR INTERPRETATION
Why Dallas fans care
Interpretation: Aldama’s absence matters because his skill set is not duplicated neatly elsewhere on the roster. May can replace minutes, but replacing the combination of size, shooting and secondary creation will require multiple players.
Updated October 21, 2026
Updated Oct. 21: Dallas ruled Santi Aldama out for the season opener in Houston.