Under former general manager Ernie Grunfeld, there was no better representation of fans’ frustration with the Wizards than the four-year, $64 million contract given to Ian Mahinmi in the summer of 2016. Washington missed out on free agent star Kevin Durant, so they signed … a backup center instead. For $16 million a year.
Fans were baffled by the move at the time, and Mahinimi, over the years, has heard about it.
After leaving the floor with 21 points, six rebounds and three blocks in Monday’s 106-100 win over the Detroit Pistons, Mahinmi heard something else: A standing ovation.