What happened: The Dallas Mavericks finalized a six-team trade to acquire forward Santi Aldama, guard Marcus Sasser and the draft rights to Tarik Biberovic. Dallas sent veteran forward Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards via a three-year, $17.6 million sign-and-trade agreement. The transaction also included the Memphis Grizzlies, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers.

Why it matters: The move provides Dallas with immediate frontcourt reinforcement in Aldama from Memphis and backcourt depth with Sasser from Detroit. Routing Middleton to Washington allows the Mavericks to navigate offseason salary cap obligations while generating a $5.6 million trade exception. The sprawling framework enabled multiple franchises to execute previously agreed-upon moves simultaneously following the league's July moratorium.

What to watch: Dallas integrates Aldama and Sasser into the roster ahead of the upcoming 2026-27 season. The front office can utilize the newly created $5.6 million trade exception to absorb additional contracts.