Al-Farouq Aminu Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mavericks Notes: Marion, Aminu, Lewis

July 29th, 2014 at 10:59pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Mavericks president Donnie Nelson is still open to signing Shawn Marion, tweets Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. This isn’t any different from what Nelson said in a radio interview roughly two weeks ago, when he said that the team wouldn’t close the door on attempting to bring the 6’7 forward back to Dallas. It’s worth noting that the Mavs still had their $2.7MM room exception at that point; however, Nelson said that Marion’s value in the free agent market was much more than the team could afford. Now that the team used the room exception to sign Jameer Nelson, it seems even less likely that a reunion with “The Matrix” would materialize.

Here’s more out of Dallas tonight:

Donnie Nelson admitted that the team had originally considered signing Al-Farouq Aminu with their room exception, according to Price (Twitter link). The Mavs were fortunate to land the young forward on a veteran’s minimum deal instead.
Price also heard Donnie Nelson say that the Mavs may consider signing Rashard Lewis after he undergoes knee surgery (Twitter link). The team recently voided their one-year, $1.4MM offer after learning that Lewis needed an operation on his right knee.
Price (via Twitter) passes along that Donnie and the rest of the team expect Raymond Felton to have a bounce-back year this season.
Ivan Johnson‘s contract with the Mavs is a two-year arrangement, a source tells Sportando’s Enea Trapani (Twitter link), and both years are partially guaranteed, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM. It’s almost certainly a minimum-salary deal, as Chuck Myron explained earlier.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Mavericks Sign Al-Farouq Aminu

July 29th, 2014 at 10:52am CST by Alex Lee

10:52am: The team has formally announced the signing, via press release.

JULY 29TH, 10:21am: The deal is official, according to the RealGM transactions log and Eric Pincus of Basketball insiders (Twitter link), though the team has yet to make an announcement.

JULY 23RD: Free agent forward Al-Farouq Aminu will sign with the Mavericks, Chris Haynes of CSN Northwest reports (via Twitter). Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas confirms the deal, citing Aminu’s agent Raymond Brothers and adding that it will be for the veteran’s minimum (Twitter links). More specifically, the pact is for two years and $2.1MM with a player option for the second year, reports NBA.com’s David Aldridge (via Twitter). Aminu played the last three seasons in New Orleans after being drafted No. 8 overall in 2010 by the Clippers. The Wake Forest product, still only 23, averaged 7.2 points and 6.2 rebounds for the Pelicans in 2013/14.

MacMahon reported that the Mavs were interested in Aminu earlier this month, a report that Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram seconded a few weeks later. This is the latest move in a busy offseason for the Mavericks, who voided their contract with Rashard Lewis earlier today and are reportedly close to a deal with point guard Jameer Nelson. Dallas also acquired Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton via trade in June and, of course, stole Chandler Parsons from the rival Rockets earlier this month.

As Aldridge adds, Lewis’ knee surgery caused Dallas to turn to Aminu. Aldridge also indicates that the Mavs have retained their $2.7MM room exception, which is expected to go to Nelson (Twitter links). At only 23 years of age, Aminu makes for an interesting addition to a new-look Mavericks team that will look to improve on a 49-win season in 2013/14. The former Demon Deacon will add versatility and rebounding ability to the Dallas frontcourt.

Southwest Notes: Parsons, Mavericks, Baynes

July 16th, 2014 at 12:40am CST by Ryan Raroque

Here’s what we’ve gathered out of the Southwest Division:

It’s widely suspected around the league that Dan Fegan insisted that the Rockets turn down their team option on Chandler Parsons before he would allow fellow client Dwight Howard to sign in Houston last summer, Grantland’s Zach Lowe writes. Parsons strongly denied knowing of such a deal, notes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
On Monday, Parsons told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports that he wasn’t thrilled with how the Rockets handled his restricted free agency. “…I was offended by the whole process…(Houston) publicly said that they were going out looking for a third star when I thought they had one right in front of them. I guess that’s just how they viewed me as a player. I don’t think I’ve scratched the surface of where I can be as a player and I think I’m ready for that role.”
Today, Parsons said he was surprised about the backlash he received by making those comments. While he didn’t back off from what he said, Parsons also cited that he praised Rockets GM Daryl Morey (Twitter link from Feigen).
On Monday, Mavericks president Donnie Nelson told Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the team may not be done tweaking their roster. “We’re not done…But we feel pretty good about where things are right now.” Following the team’s addition of Rashard Lewis today, Price reminds that Nelson plans to keep one of the team’s final two roster spots open for flexibility down the line (Twitter link).
In the former piece, Price mentions also Al-Farouq Aminu, Bernard James, Shawn Marion, and Ivan Johnson as other names that Dallas could attempt to add before the start of next season.
Nelson sat down for an interview with KESN-FM 103.3 to offer some insight on how the Mavs plan to approach the rest of the season (transcription via SportsDayDFW) and mentioned that the team is always keeping its eye out for a shooter. It’s worth noting that he said this before they added Lewis, however.
While they won’t close the door on re-signing Marion, Nelson acknowledges that the veteran forward’s value in the marketplace is much higher than what the Mavs can afford.
The Spurs still hope to retain restricted free agent center Aron Baynes, tweets Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. Young adds that San Antonio is willing to match any reasonable offer.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Western Notes: Pelicans, Parsons, Grunwald

July 12th, 2014 at 6:03pm CST by Cray Allred

The Thunder lost a valuable weapon Friday with the expiration of a $6.5MM trade exception left over from last year’s sign-and-trade of Kevin Martin to the Wolves. The Thunder had hoped to use the exception to acquire Pau Gasol, and today lost out on the big man, report Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. Here’s more from out West:

The Warriors had considered using their own expired trade exception to acquire Brandon Bass, among other players, reports Zach Lowe of Grantland.
The Pelicans renounced their rights to Al-Farouq Aminu, Jason Smith and James Southerland, tweets Mark Deeks of ShamSports. That means they no longer hold any form of Bird rights on the trio.
The Suns also renounced Emeka Okafor‘s rights in a move that will erase his $19.2MM cap hold from Phoenix’s books, Deeks reports in a separate tweet.
Sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com) that although the Rockets just snagged small forward Trevor Ariza, Houston is still deciding whether to match Chandler Parsons‘ max offer sheet with the Mavs.
The Grizzlies have been talking up Glen Grunwald as a candidate for their GM-in-waiting search, Mitch Lawrence of New York Daily News reports. Lawrence expects Memphis to hire Grunwald for the job.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Western Rumors: Nowitzki, Frye, Sefolosha, Love

July 1st, 2014 at 1:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavs have had advanced discussions with Dirk Nowitzki but both sides have agreed to put off sealing a deal until after Wednesday’s meeting with Carmelo Anthony, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears. That’s to let the team keep maximum flexibility, the same desire that also prompted the sides to decide against an extension. The Mavs and Nowitzki engaged in extension talks before he became a free agent, so Dallas has a strong idea of what the perennial All-Star wants, Stein writes. There’s more on the Mavs amid the latest from the Western Conference:

The Mavs have interest in D.J. Augustin, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com details.
The Suns are making a push to re-sign Channing Frye amid interest from the Cavs and Warriors, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
The Clippers, Mavs and Rockets have scheduled meetings with Thabo Sefolosha, but the Thunder haven’t reached out to him, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link).
Kevin Love trade talk between the Wolves and Warriors is still stalemated over Minnesota’s request for the inclusion of Klay Thompson and Golden State’s hesitancy to give him up in a deal, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
The Lakers, Rockets and Mavs followed through with their interest in Jordan Hill and made contact over night, reports Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link). Hill, like Pau Gasol, warmed to the idea of a remaining with the Lakers when coach Mike D’Antoni left, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News details.
The Mavs are interested in unrestricted free agent Al-Farouq Aminu, according to MacMahon.
Dallas is making progress toward new deals with Devin Harris and Vince Carter, tweets Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
The Lakers were extremely active in the hours after free agency began, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The Lakers were working the phones “like crazy” and talked to a lot of free agents, Kennedy says.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Pelicans Re-Sign Al-Farouq Aminu

July 10th, 2013 at 4:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

JULY 10TH: The Pelicans have officially re-signed Aminu, the team confirmed today in a press release.

JULY 5TH: The Pelicans and Al-Farouq Aminu have agreed to a one-year, $3.7MM deal that will keep the small forward in New Orleans, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The team had prioritized an upgrade at small forward in the offseason, but with other major moves, including the acquisitions of Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans, it appears the Pelicans are content to bring back their incumbent starter at the three.

There hadn't been much talk about other teams interested in Aminu, a client of Raymond Brothers at IAM Sports & Entertainment. Still, the three-year veteran showed steady progress over his time in the league, averaging 7.3 points and 7.7 rebounds in his first year as a full-time starter in 2011/12. The Pelicans declined their fourth-year option on his rookie contract before this past season began, and they wound up agreeing to re-sign him at an amount roughly equivalent to his cap hold.

Hornets Notes: Williams, Forwards, Free Agents

April 2nd, 2013 at 10:03pm CST by Alex Lee

Sitting at 26-48, the Hornets head to Golden State tomorrow night to take on the Warriors. With only eight games remaining, it sounds like the team will have some decisions to make in the offseason. Let's round up all things New Orleans here on this Tuesday night:

Hornets coach Monty Williams does not foresee the Hornets (soon to be the Pelicans) having any problems attracting top talent this offseason, writes John Reid of The Times-Picayune. Along with the name change, the New Orleans franchise has a 55,000 square foot practice facility in the works as well as ample cap space to make a splash. Williams says that multiple free-agents-to-be have suggested to him during games that they'd love to play for him in New Orleans.
Williams addressed the idea of changes to the team's roster over the summer, notes Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com (Twitter link). "That’s just the nature of it. When you have a record like we have, you’re not going to settle for this production," Williams said.
Williams expressed his displeasure with the team's small forwards earlier this season, and Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune echoes that sentiment, imploring the team to prioritize an upgrade at the three this summer. As it stands now, the Hornets use Al-Farouq Aminu, Darius Miller and Lance Thomas at that spot, who barely combine for 12 points per night.
The Hornets could have as many as eight players become free agents when the season ends in two weeks, including the entire small forward trio mentioned above, Reid writes. Aminu will become a free agent, along with Xavier Henry, Roger Mason and Louis Amundson. The Hornets must decide whether to extend team options to Miller, Thomas and backup point guard Brian Roberts. Per Reid, this has resulted in an environment where the current players are desperate to make an impression. While Reid doesn't mention him, Terrel Harris has a non-guaranteed deal next season and could also become a free agent.

Odds & Ends: Sims, Babby, Aminu, Robinson

April 2nd, 2013 at 12:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the Mavericks/Lakers game tonight will have a serious impact on the race for the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference, it's not the only noteworthy game on the schedule. The Knicks and Heat have comfortably clinched playoff spots, but New York is still vying for the second seed in the East, while the Heat are looking for a split of the season series with the Knicks. As we wait for those teams to tip off in Miami, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the NBA:

Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside passes along word that Henry Sims will leave the D-League's Erie BayHawks to play in the Philippines. The Hornets signed Sims to a 10-day contract a month ago, but decided not to re-sign him when the deal expired.
Suns president Lon Babby is in the final year of his contract, and Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic wonders whether he'll be back in Phoenix next season, since Babby's future with the team may be linked to the futures of head coach Lindsey Hunter and GM Lance Blanks.
Grantland's Zach Lowe unveils his "I can't believe he's this relevant" All-Stars, which includes a number of players who will hit free agency this summer, including Luke Walton, Marco Belinelli, and Kenyon Martin.
With Al-Farouq Aminu headed for unrestricted free agency in July, John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune asks Hornets fans whether the team ought to re-sign him to a new contract for 2013/14.
Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald makes the case for why it may make sense for the Bulls to re-sign Nate Robinson this summer.
In his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel discusses whether the Heat will have the flexibility to bring back Chris Andersen next season.

Western Notes: Gasol, Howard, Aminu, Grizzlies

January 21st, 2013 at 8:54pm CST by Michael Pina

Pau Gasol will be coming off the bench permanently, tweets Orange County Register reporter Kevin Ding. Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni believes his team plays better when they're small, and a starting frontline of Gasol and Dwight Howard obviously isn't small.

ESPN analyst Magic Johnson believes the Mavericks would be wise to strike a trade for Lakers center Dwight Howard before the trade deadline instead of targeting him in free agency this summer, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Hornets forward Al-Farouq Aminu is having a breakout season with the Hornets writes Nola.com's John Reid.
The Memphis Commercial Appeal rationalizes why the Grizzlies need to make several moves before the trade deadline.

Hornets Pick Up Option On Greivis Vasquez

October 29th, 2012 at 3:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have exercised their 2013/14 option on Greivis Vasquez, according to John Reid of the Times Picayune. However, Reid confirms that the team will not pick up '13/14 options for Al-Farouq Aminu or Xavier Henry.

All three players are heading into their third seasons, meaning the Hornets had to decide on their respective fourth-year options. Vasquez, who figures to see increased playing time this season with Jarrett Jack having been traded to Golden State, will earn about $1.19MM this season and $2.15MM in 2013/14.

Aminu would have been in line for a $3.75MM salary next season, while Henry would have earned $3.2MM. Instead, both players will become unrestricted free agents at the end of this season. According to Reid, the Hornets may still be interested in re-signing both players, but want to keep their options open when it comes to cap space.