Mavs Void Lewis Contract; Sign Aminu In Response

That didn’t take long. When news struck late Tuesday night of the possibility of Rashard Lewis needing knee surgery, the Mavericks front office knew that they were most likely going to need to look for another player. On Wednesday morning, the Mavericks voided the Lewis contract, and responded that night by signing Al-Farouq Aminu to another mind blowing deal.

Aminu at the vet’s minimum is a steal for Dallas. Can’t shoot, a bit spacey, etc, but some team should have bid more. Real NBA skills there.

— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) July 24, 2014

 

Aminu is only 23 years old, and shows incredible potential. He is a very strong defender, which will most likely signal the end of Shawn Marion‘s tenure with the Mavericks. Last season, Aminu averaged 7.2 points and 6.4 rebounds for the New Orleands Pelicans, while shooting 47.4% from the floor in the process. He is exceptional at defending the pick-and-roll and does an above average job of cleaning up the glass. On December 4th, Aminu poured in 16 points on the Mavericks, while grabbing 20 rebounds in the process. That was the 2nd time Aminu put up those numbers against Dallas. The video below is the first time, back in 2013.

While the Mavericks might not be replacing Lewis’ shooting ability with the signing of Aminu, it appears as if they will add that with the signing of Jameer Nelson. Aminu wasn’t one of the “cornerstone players” for the Pelicans, but he was given the difficult task of guarding the best perimeter player on a nightly basis. This was essentially what Marion provided, and while Marion offered a little more on the offensive end, offense will not be a requirement asked of Aminu, as they have plenty of weapons in that area as it is.

The Mavericks roster is starting to take it’s full shape, and with all of the additions this team has put together, it’s safe to say this has been one of the best off-seasons in the history of this franchise, and all signs point towards a very entertaining season. The Mavericks have scoring, a defensive presence in Chandler and Aminu, a very deep roster, and a front office who continues to give this team a chance to put the best squad on the floor.

Welcome to Dallas Al-Farouq!