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The Portland Trail Blazers have reached an agreement with small forward Al-Farouq Aminu on a four-year, $30-million contract, according to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.
Headed to Portland with my guy Neil Olshey, who believed in me since day one. Much love Rip city here I come
— Al-Farouq Aminu (@farouq1) July 1, 2015
Aminu's sudden transformation from draft lottery also-ran to coveted roster piece stands as one of the more improbable single-year leaps in recent history.
Last summer, Aminu stayed on the market for nearly a month before signing with the Dallas Mavericks at the league minimum. The deal gave him the flexibility of a small player option for 2015-16, but Aminu rightfully declined after doing wonders for his value this season.
Aminu's reported signing so quickly into free agency is a surprise, but market demand for the forward is not. It was reported Sunday that he would meet with five teams, including the Blazers. The Mavericks were also said to really want him back.
An annual salary of $7.5 million may seem striking at first blush - it's more than the mid-level exception - but in a rising-cap environment, and with the Blazers flush with cap space, it's justifiable.
Aminu is still 24 despite five years of NBA experience, and while he can't shoot a lick - he's a 28.6 percent career outside shooter - he's one of the best rebounding wings in the league and an above-average defender.
He produced modest averages of 5.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 18.5 minutes with the Mavericks this season, but his impact was not: Dallas was 4.2 points per 100 possessions better with Aminu on the floor.
Aminu is best deployed as a smaller power forward, but his lack of shooting prevents him from taking full advantage of those scenarios. Instead, it's Aminu's defensive flexibility and ability to rebound from either forward spot that makes him valuable.
If the shot ever comes along, Aminu could be a fully-rounded player.
