Report: Mavs aim to re-sign Aminu this summer

Chandler Parsons' loss was Al-Farouq Aminu's gain.

With Parsons hobbled and unable to play for much of the Dallas Mavericks' first-round matchup versus the Houston Rockets, Aminu took it upon himself to contribute in a variety of ways.

The Wake Forest product, who signed with the Mavs last summer, played a supporting role behind fellow forwards Parsons and Dirk Nowitzki for the majority of the season. Appearing in 74 regular-season games, Aminu averaged 5.6 points and 4.6 rebounds.

Despite such relatively mediocre stats, the Atlanta native stepped up and performed admirably in Parsons' postseason absence. In Dallas's five-game series against the Houston Rockets, Aminu increased his production to 11.2 points, 7.2 boards, 1.6 blocks, and two steals per game.

He saved his best performance for Game 4, with Dallas on the ropes, down in the series 0-3. Along with running mate J.J. Barea, Aminu keyed the Mavs to their lone playoff victory, tallying 16 points, 12 rebounds and one monster dunk over Dwight Howard (2-minute mark of this highlight reel).

It's therefore easy to understand why coach Rick Carlisle is a member of the Aminu Fan Club. Carlisle had high praise for the 24-year-old, according to Mavs Insider Earl K. Sneed:

As the playoffs unfolded, he shot over 60 percent from three and did a lot of great things. He’s an exciting young player. We certainly hope that we can get him back here, because he fits into our culture, he fits into our fabric and fits into the character of this organization.

Although the five-year pro is expected to decline his player option in order to become a free agent this summer, expect Mark Cuban and his front-office staff to try to keep Aminu in a Mavs uniform.