BIRTHDAY: September 21, 1990 (age 30)
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6’8”, 220lb
HOMETOWN: Atlanta, Georgia
CAREER THUS FAR: Versatile veteran Al-Farouq Aminu joins the Bulls alongside star big man Nikola Vucevic, marking his 6th NBA team in 11 seasons. The 30-year old brings playoff and big game experience to a young squad, having played an important role in playoff runs for the Portland Trail Blazers between 2015-2019. Aminu averaged over 17 points per game in four games in the 2017-18 playoffs, and was an important cog in the Blazers surprise 2019 Western Conference Finals run, starting 16 playoff games over that time and giving the Blazers a valuable presence at forward.
After leaving Portland as a free agent and signing with Orlando in July 2019, Aminu has struggled with injuries for the past two seasons, including a torn meniscus in his right knee. With his injury issues, Aminu only played in 35 games in 2 seasons with the Magic. However, after sitting out the first three months of the season, Aminu has worked his way back onto the court and comes to Chicago having started to round into form, playing more than 20 minutes in the last 12 Magic games.
Bulls fans can expect Aminu to bring an experienced presence for the team, a strong rebounder and defender for a forward and one who over the course of his career has been a difference maker on the defensive side of the ball. With his injury issues hopefully behind him, look for Aminu to be a helpful cog in this roster for the rest of the season.
FUN FACT: Aminu plays for the Nigerian national team. According to NBC Sports Northwest and Sports Illustrated, Aminu is a descendant from a line of Nigerian kings and his name translates to “The chief has arrived”.