The Dallas Mavericks have agreed to sign free agent forward Al-Farouq Aminu, reports Chris B. Haynes of CSNNW. The team acted quickly after voiding its deal with Rashard Lewis earlier on Wednesday, signing one of the top remaining wings on the market to undisclosed terms.
Al-Farouq Aminu agrees to deal with Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks wasted no time moving on from Rashard Lewis on Wednesday, agreeing to a contract with free agent forward Al-Farouq Aminu.
Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sport
The move continues a busy offseason for Dallas, which needed to scramble Wednesday after discovering Lewis has a knee injury that requires surgery. The team wasn’t aware of the issue before signing Lewis and voided his contract, leaving a hole on the roster with much of the market already dried up.
Aminu was one of the top names available, and the Mavericks didn’t waste any time securing an agreement from the 23-year-old on a busy day. He’s not a comparable player to Lewis in pretty much any sense, but from a talent perspective was about as good as the team could do.
The Mavericks will need to change their plans for next season a little bit with Aminu taking Lewis' place, however. Aminu's athleticism should give Rick Carlisle some new options, especially on the defensive end, but his lack of shooting ability will take away some of the plays that Lewis would've thrived in.
Last season, Aminu averaged 7.2 points and 6.2 rebounds for the New Orleans Pelicans, his third year with the team. Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2010 draft out of Wake Forest, he was included in the 2011 trade that sent Chris Paul packing to L.A.
After adding Chandler Parsons earlier in the offseason, with Shawn Marion likely returning as well, there won't be a ton of minutes left for Aminu next season. More likely, he'll fill some minutes off the bench while being an emergency option in case of injury to one of the bigger names.
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