Aaron Brooks: A Winding Career Path

Jan 17, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Aaron Brooks (0) drives past Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) during the second half at the United Center. Atlanta won 107-99. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 17, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Aaron Brooks (0) drives past Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) during the second half at the United Center. Atlanta won 107-99. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
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Jan 17, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Aaron Brooks (0) drives past Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) during the second half at the United Center. Atlanta won 107-99. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 17, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Aaron Brooks (0) drives past Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) during the second half at the United Center. Atlanta won 107-99. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Brooks, the 30-year-old Chicago Bulls back-up point guard, has had a number of twists and turns in his professional career. From being a first-round pick and the NBA’s Most Improved Player to playing in China and becoming an NBA trade chip. A once promising career had become in danger of getting completely derailed.

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This season, with his role as a spark plug off the bench for the Bulls, it seems like Brooks has finally gotten his NBA career back on a firm footing. With 11 points per game, he’s tenth in bench scoring among those that have played at least 70 percent of their team’s games as a reserve, according to NBA.com.

He is also third in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage at 44.6 percent, trailing only Kyle Korver and Courtney Lee. He may not be mentioned as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, but he is one of the better bench players in the NBA.

So how did the Bulls manage to sign a former Most Improved Player of the Year and one-time (nearly) 20-point scorer for the veteran’s minimum?

Next: Promising Start