The Washington Wizards may have just made one of the savviest moves in free agency. According to Shams Charania of The Vertical, Washington will sign Ian Mahinmi to a four-year deal worth $64 million.
Free agent Ian Mahinmi has agreed to a four year, $64M deal with Washington, league source tells The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2016
The news was originally broken by Mahinmi, who tweeted at the Wizards before it was announced the sides had reached an agreement.
@WashWizards let's gooooo 💪🏾!!!!!!🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
— Ian Mahinmi (@ianmahinmi) July 3, 2016
Mahinmi gives the Wizards a big, physical option down low. He’s spent the last three years in Indiana and had a breakout of sorts in 2015-16, as Mahinmi averaged 9.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 25.6 minutes per game. It was also the first year that Mahinmi was a starter, as he started all 71 games in which he appeared for the Pacers.
Considering the fact that Timofey Mozgov set the market for centers with the same deal that Mahinmi’s receiving, this is a really good signing for Washington, especially because the team was unable to convince Al Horford to become a Wizard. Mahinmi should form a really solid 1-2 punch at center with Marcin Gortat for the next few years, and in the event that Gortat goes down, Mahinmi can fill in for him in a pinch.
Between this deal and the agreement the team reached with Bradley Beal, Washington has had a solid couple of days in free agency. It’s too bad that Kevin Durant has no interest in heading home, because the Wizards are in the process of putting together a really good summer.
