Would Al-Farouq Aminu give Portland another dependable season at power forward in 2018–19? Here’s the original player analysis video, followed by a look at how his final season with the Blazers turned out.
Looking back: Another solid season—and then goodbye
Historical update (November 2026): The short answer to this video’s question is yes. Al-Farouq Aminu gave the Blazers another solid season. He wasn’t flashy, and he certainly wasn’t going to carry the offense, but Portland could count on him to defend, rebound and do plenty of the less glamorous work. There was a reason Terry Stotts kept starting him.
In 2018–19, Aminu started all 81 regular-season games he played, averaging 9.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 28.3 minutes. He shot 34.3% from three-point range. He had his offensive limitations—especially when defenses dared him to shoot—but his versatility and willingness to guard difficult matchups helped Portland finish 53–29 and third in the Western Conference.
He also played in all 16 of Portland’s playoff games as the Blazers knocked off Oklahoma City and Denver on their way to the Western Conference Finals. His playoff scoring dipped to 7.4 points a game, and his playing time shrank during the Golden State series. So yes, another solid year, but not a perfect one. Aminu’s value was always easier to appreciate on defense than in the box score.
At the start of the season, there was also the question of whether young Zach Collins should take some of Aminu’s minutes or even his starting job. That never really happened: Aminu remained the starter, and Collins mostly came off the bench. We revisited that exact debate in Monday Mailbag #3: Aminu vs. Collins, Backup Guard Minutes.
Unfortunately, 2018–19 turned out to be Aminu’s last season in Portland. He signed a three-year deal worth about $29 million with Orlando in July 2019. A knee injury soon derailed that next chapter, and he played only 35 games for the Magic over parts of two seasons. He was traded to Chicago in March 2021, then to San Antonio that summer, where he was waived before the season. He briefly signed with Boston in December 2021, but his NBA playing career was effectively over.
My takeaway? Aminu was never the exciting player fans dreamed about adding to the lineup. At times his offense drove you crazy. But across four seasons in Portland, he was a dependable starter who did a lot of the dirty work alongside Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. His final season helped produce one of the Blazers’ best playoff runs in years. That’s a pretty good answer to the question we asked back in September 2018.
Historical sources: 2018–19 Portland team statistics; Aminu’s post-Portland transactions and injury history.