_(cropped).jpg) Aldama with theMemphis Grizzlies in 2022 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 7 – Memphis Grizzlies | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Power forward /center | ||||||||||||||
| League | NBA | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (2001-01-10)10 January 2001 (age 24) Las Palmas, Spain | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Canterbury Academy (Las Palmas, Spain) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Loyola (Maryland) (2019–2021) | ||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 2021: 1st round, 30th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | Utah Jazz | ||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2021–present | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 2021–present | Memphis Grizzlies | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||
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Stats at NBA.com  | |||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Santiago Aldama Toledo (born January 10th 2001) is a Spanish professionalbasketball player for theMemphis Grizzlies of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He was namedmost valuable player (MVP) of the2019 FIBA U18 European Championship.
Aldama playedcollege basketball for theLoyola Greyhounds. He is the son of Spanish basketball playerSantiago Aldama, an Olympian at the1992 Summer Olympics inBarcelona.
Aldama was brought up inLas Palmas,Gran Canaria, Spain. He started playing basketball at age three because his father,Santiago Aldama, and uncle,Santi Toledo [es], played the sport professionally.[1] Aldama grew up idolizing basketball playersPau Gasol,Juan Carlos Navarro andKobe Bryant.[1][2]
Since his introduction to basketball, Aldama played for Canterbury Basketball Academy in Las Palmas and later chose to remain there, despite receiving offers from bigger clubs likeFC Barcelona,Real Madrid andGran Canaria.[3] At the 2017 Spanish Under-16 Championship, he averaged 18.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, playing for Canterbury alongsideOumar Ballo. He helped his team to a surprising third-place finish behind FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.[3] In 2018, Aldama played onloan for the FC Barcelona under-18 team at Ciutat de L'Hospitalet qualifiers in theAdidas Next Generation tournament.[4]
On 5 August 2019, Aldama announced his commitment to playcollege basketball in the United States forLoyola Maryland. He was drawn to the school because his father knew assistant coachIvo Simović and due to Aldama's hopes of an eventual business career, and he felt comfortable when he visited the school in June.[5][6] Considered a four-starrecruit and a high-major talent, Aldama's decision to play for amid-major program took many analysts by surprise. Evan Daniels of247Sports.com called him "one of the biggest college-bound international steals in quite a while."[7]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santiago Aldama PF | Las Palmas, Spain | Canterbury Academy | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Aug 5, 2019 | |
Recruit ratings:247Sports:  | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: 247Sports: 61 | ||||||
Sources:
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Aldama missed the first three months of his freshman season with a knee injury that required surgery.[8] He made his collegiate debut for Loyola Maryland on 1 February 2020, scoring 11 points in 17 minutes in a 79–73 win overNavy.[9] Aldama was namedPatriot League Rookie of the Week three times in the span of four weeks.[10] At the end of the regular season, he was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team.[11] On 3 March, he scored a season-high 23 points in a 78–75 loss toLehigh in the first round of thePatriot League tournament.[12] Aldama averaged 15.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 blocks in 10 games as a freshman.[13]
On 13 February 2021, Aldama posted 30 points and 22 rebounds in a 97–94 triple overtime loss toLafayette. He set the program record and matchedAdonal Foyle's Patriot League record for rebounds in a game.[14] On 10 March 2021, Aldama scored a career-high 33 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 13-of-15 from the field, in a 67–63 win againstArmy at thePatriot League tournament semifinals. He helped Loyola advance to its first-ever Patriot League final.[15] As a sophomore, he averaged 21.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 blocks per game, earning First Team All-Patriot League honors. On 14 April 2021, Aldama declared for the2021 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility. He later decided to remain in the draft.[16]
Aldama was drafted with the 30th overall pick of the2021 NBA draft by theUtah Jazz. His rights were later traded to theMemphis Grizzlies.[17] On 8 August 2021, the Grizzlies announced that they had signed Aldama.[18] On 2 December, Aldama scored a season-high 18 points with ten rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block in a 152–79 blowout win over theOklahoma City Thunder.[19]
Aldama joined the Grizzlies'2022 NBA Summer League roster.[20] On 18 July 2022, he was named to the All-NBA Summer League Second Team.[21] WithJaren Jackson Jr. sidelined, Aldama was named the Grizzlies' starting power forward to open the 2022–23 season.[22] He made his first career start in the team's season opener on 19 October, recording a double-double of 18 points and eleven rebounds in a 115–112 overtime win over theNew York Knicks.[23] On 2 February 2023, Aldama scored a career-high 21 points, alongside ten rebounds, in a 128–113 loss to theCleveland Cavaliers.[24]
Aldama made 65 appearances (16 starts) for Memphis during the2024–25 NBA season, averaging 12.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. On 26 April 2025, during the first round of the playoffs, Aldama recorded 23 points, nine rebounds and three assists in a 117–115 Game 4 loss to theOklahoma City Thunder, eliminating the Grizzlies from the playoffs.[25]
On 30 June 2025, Aldama re-signed with the Grizzlies on a three-year, $52.5 million contract.[26]
Aldama made his national team debut forSpain at the2017 FIBA U16 European Championship inPodgorica,Montenegro, averaging nine points and 5.4 rebounds per game.[27] He led his team to a gold medal at the2019 FIBA U18 European Championship inVolos, Greece, averaging 18 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.9 steals per game. Aldama was named tournamentmost valuable player (MVP) and joined his teammateUsman Garuba on the All-Star Five.[28]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Memphis | 32 | 0 | 11.2 | .402 | .125 | .625 | 2.7 | .7 | .2 | .3 | 4.1 |
| 2022–23 | Memphis | 77 | 20 | 21.8 | .470 | .353 | .750 | 4.8 | 1.3 | .6 | .6 | 9.0 |
| 2023–24 | Memphis | 61 | 35 | 26.5 | .435 | .349 | .621 | 5.8 | 2.3 | .7 | .9 | 10.7 |
| 2024–25 | Memphis | 65 | 16 | 25.5 | .483 | .368 | .691 | 6.4 | 2.9 | .8 | .4 | 12.5 |
| Career | 235 | 71 | 22.6 | .459 | .345 | .692 | 5.2 | 1.9 | .6 | .6 | 9.8 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Memphis | 6 | 0 | 16.8 | .455 | .467 | 1.000 | 4.3 | 1.2 | .5 | .0 | 6.5 |
| 2025 | Memphis | 4 | 1 | 30.5 | .477 | .417 | – | 6.0 | 1.8 | .0 | .3 | 13.0 |
| Career | 10 | 1 | 22.3 | .468 | .436 | 1.000 | 5.0 | 1.4 | .3 | .1 | 9.1 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Loyola | 10 | 9 | 30.4 | .459 | .217 | .515 | 7.6 | 2.1 | .9 | 1.7 | 15.2 |
| 2020–21 | Loyola | 17 | 17 | 35.0 | .513 | .368 | .686 | 10.1 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 21.2 |
| Career | 27 | 26 | 33.3 | .495 | .306 | .639 | 9.2 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 19.0 | |
Aldama's father,Santiago Aldama, played professional basketball in Spain and Portugal and joined theSpanish national team at the1992 Summer Olympics.[5] His uncle,Santi Toledo [es], also played professional basketball in Spain, Italy and Portugal.[29]
· Basketball Reference 
