Al-Farouq Aminu reportedly joins Dallas. (USATSI)
Offseason: Free Agency | Latest from Ken Berger | Rumors
CSN Northwest reports that the Mavericks, after waiving Rashard Lewis have agreed to terms with Pelicans forward Al-Farouq Aminu.
Free agent forward Al-Farouq Aminu has reached an agreement with Dallas, league sources inform @CSNNW.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 24, 2014Aminu's deal with Dallas is for two years, $2.1M, player option for second season, per source.
— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 24, 2014
It's terrific value for a player who's only 23 and averaged 7.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last season for New Orleans. He's an athletic defender who can get out in transition and for a team that could be losing Shawn Marion in free agency, they need a rebounding defensive forward. Aminu worked his tail off in New Orleans to become a capable rotation player, adding an offensive game that at least makes him a non-negative-if-not-plus on that end of the floor.
It's another good value signing for a team that has had a reat offseason.
Basketball Hot News
Lakers deny rumor they are waiting around for Doc Rivers to be coach
Like nature itself, the Internet abhors a vacuum.
So if a team leaves a vacuum of information on a topic — let’s say, just for example, the Lakers taking three months to hire a coach and not really speaking about it with the media — then the Internet and its vast array of users will fill in the gaps in information with rumor and speculation. Sometimes wild speculation.
The latest around the Lakers, as promoted by ESPN’s Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose: The Lakers haven’t hired a coach yet because they are waiting for Doc Rivers to leave the Clippers because of Donald Sterling, then come down the hall and coach the Lakers.
There are just so many things wrong with that.
First, the Lakers deny it, as reported by Mark Medina at the Los Angeles Daily News.
Amid all the unanswered questions who the Lakers will hire as their next head coach and when, two team sources strongly disputed that any delay stems from waiting out to see if Clippers coach Doc Rivers will become available because of embattled owner Donald Sterling prolonging a costly litigation battle.
Of course the Lakers deny it, you say, and you’re right they would.
The problem with the rumor after that is just logic.
From sources I spoke with the core of the Clippers — both players and staff — do not want to leave the organization. They realize they are contenders, a team with a legit title shot and a locker room where they like each other, and they do not want to blow it all up. Did the current CEO of the Clippers Dick Parsons say in the Sterling trial Rivers could leave if Donald Sterling were given control of the team? Yes. He’s trying to promote a doom and gloom scenario for the judge, he did that. All that doom and gloom is exactly why the league will never let Sterling be in charge of the team again (if he wins in court they just vote him out as an owner, throwing him out of the club, and that happens starting mid-September if the courts are still dragging out rulings).
But the bigger issue with this rumor is the Lakers’ side: With the Clippers Rivers is team president and coach, the guy with final say on player/personnel moves. Do you think Jim Buss is going to give up his job, step aside for Rivers and put someone in over long-time trusted Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak? Really?
The smart money is Byron Scott, he of the three interviews. The guy who sources said was the front runner from the start. Just a couple more and he should have the job.
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