 Cole Aldrich with theOklahoma City Thunder in 2011 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1988-10-31)October 31, 1988 (age 36) Burnsville, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 253 lb (115 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Bloomington Jefferson (Bloomington, Minnesota) |
| College | Kansas (2007–2010) |
| NBA draft | 2010: 1st round, 11th overall pick |
| Selected by theNew Orleans Hornets | |
| Playing career | 2010–2018 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 45, 31 |
| Career history | |
| 2010–2012 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2010–2011 | →Tulsa 66ers |
| 2012–2013 | Houston Rockets |
| 2013 | Sacramento Kings |
| 2013–2015 | New York Knicks |
| 2015–2016 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2016–2018 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2018 | Tianjin Gold Lions |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 1,050 (3.1 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,131 (3.3 rpg) |
| Assists | 183 (0.5 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Cole David Aldrich (born October 31, 1988) is an American former professionalbasketball player. He played in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) for theOklahoma City Thunder,Houston Rockets,Sacramento Kings,New York Knicks,Los Angeles Clippers andMinnesota Timberwolves. Aldrich played three seasons ofcollege basketball for theKansas Jayhawks before being drafted by theNew Orleans Hornets with the 11th overall pick in the2010 NBA draft.
Aldrich was born on October 31, 1988, inBurnsville, Minnesota.[1] His father was a steel metal worker and his mother worked in an embroidery.[2] Aldrich attendedBloomington Jefferson High School inBloomington, Minnesota.[3] As a senior, he was named state player of the year by theSt. Paul Pioneer Press andMinneapolis Star-Tribune.[4]
Considered a four-star recruit byRivals.com, Aldrich was listed as the No. 6 center and the No. 30 player in the nation in 2007.[5]
During the 2007–08 season atKansas, Aldrich's freshman season, his playing time was limited due to playing behind futureNBA draft picksDarrell Arthur,Sasha Kaun, andDarnell Jackson. He averaged three rebounds and 2.8 points a game in 8.3 minutes a game during the regular season. Statistically, Aldrich's best performance was an 11-point, 11-rebound outing in a win overTexas Tech on March 3, 2008.[6] Probably the most crucial game for Aldrich was during the Final Four game between Kansas andNorth Carolina on April 5, 2008, when he played only 16 minutes but managed to grab 8 rebounds and score 7 points along with blocking 4 shots while also playing effective defense against National Player of the YearTyler Hansbrough, helping lead Kansas into theNCAA national championship game. They then defeated theMemphis Tigers to win their first Championship since 1988.[7]
With the departure of the other Jayhawk big men to the NBA draft, Aldrich became the premier big man going into his sophomore season. Through the first 29 games, he averaged a double-double with 15.1 points and 10.8 rebounds in 29.7 minutes of play. He grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds in an 87–78 win overOklahoma on February 23, 2009,.[8]On March 8, 2009, Aldrich was named to the 2008–09 Big 12 All-conference first team.[9]
On March 22, 2009, Aldrich recorded the first officialtriple-double in the history of Kansas basketball against Dayton in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Aldrich accumulated 13 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 blocks in a 60–43 victory, which was the second triple-double in NCAA history to include blocks, formerLSU centerShaquille O'Neal recorded the other.[10] On Monday, April 13, Aldrich announced that he would return to KU for his junior season.
He won the 2009–10 men's college basketballAcademic All-American of the Year as selected byCoSIDA and presented byESPN the Magazine.[11] He ended his college career a perfect 55–0 atAllen Fieldhouse.
On March 29, 2010, Aldrich announced that he would forgo his final season of collegiate eligibility and enter the2010 NBA draft. He was the 11th pick, selected by theNew Orleans Hornets, who traded his rights on draft day to theOklahoma City Thunder. On August 6, 2010, Aldrich signed a two-year contract with the Thunder with a two-year option.[12]
On November 24, 2010, the Thunder assigned Aldrich to theTulsa 66ers of theNBA D-League.[13] He was recalled on December 6, 2010,[14] but sent back to Tulsa on December 30, 2010.[15] He was again recalled on February 2, 2011, and assigned for a third time on March 30, 2011.[16] Aldrich reached the2012 NBA Finals with the Thunder, but the team lost to theMiami Heat.
In October 2012, Aldrich,James Harden,Daequan Cook, andLazar Hayward were traded to theHouston Rockets forKevin Martin,Jeremy Lamb, and draft picks.[17]
On February 20, 2013, Aldrich was traded to theSacramento Kings along withToney Douglas andPatrick Patterson in exchange forFrancisco García,Thomas Robinson andTyler Honeycutt.[18]
On September 24, 2013, Aldrich signed with theNew York Knicks.[19] On January 29, 2014, he was assigned to the Erie BayHawks.[20] He was recalled the next day. He went on to record his first double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) in his first NBA start on March 12, 2014.[21]
On July 11, 2014, Aldrich re-signed with the Knicks.[22] On April 11, 2015, he scored a career-high 19 points in an 80–79 win over the Orlando Magic.[23]
On July 13, 2015, Aldrich signed with theLos Angeles Clippers.[24] On January 13, 2016, with starting centerDeAndre Jordan out, Aldrich had a then season-best game with 19 points and 7 rebounds in a 104–90 win over theMiami Heat.[25] On April 8, 2016, he recorded 21 points and 18 rebounds (both season highs) and a career-high five steals in a 102–99 overtime win over theUtah Jazz.[26]
On July 13, 2016, Aldrich signed a three-year, $22 million deal with his hometown team, theMinnesota Timberwolves.[27][28]
On June 30, 2018, Aldrich was waived by the Timberwolves.[29]
On September 18, 2018, Aldrich signed with theAtlanta Hawks[30] but was waived by the Hawks on October 2, 2018, as their first training camp cut.[31]
On October 10, 2018, Aldrich signed with theTianjin Golden Lions of theChinese Basketball Association.[32] He sprained his knee while playing and returned home.[33]
Aldrich planned to have a year-long break from basketball but made the decision to retire after his son was born and theCOVID-19 pandemic occurred.[33]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–11 | Oklahoma City | 18 | 0 | 7.9 | .533 | – | .500 | 1.9 | .2 | .3 | .4 | 1.0 |
| 2011–12 | Oklahoma City | 26 | 0 | 6.7 | .524 | – | .929 | 1.8 | .1 | .3 | .6 | 2.2 |
| 2012–13 | Houston | 30 | 0 | 7.1 | .535 | – | .444 | 1.9 | .2 | .1 | .3 | 1.7 |
| 2012–13 | Sacramento | 15 | 0 | 11.7 | .568 | – | .727 | 4.2 | .2 | .1 | .9 | 3.3 |
| 2013–14 | New York | 46 | 2 | 7.2 | .541 | – | .867 | 2.8 | .3 | .2 | .7 | 2.0 |
| 2014–15 | New York | 61 | 16 | 16.0 | .478 | – | .781 | 5.5 | 1.2 | .6 | 1.1 | 5.5 |
| 2015–16 | L.A. Clippers | 60 | 5 | 13.3 | .596 | – | .714 | 4.8 | .8 | .8 | 1.1 | 5.5 |
| 2016–17 | Minnesota | 62 | 0 | 8.6 | .523 | – | .682 | 2.5 | .4 | .4 | .4 | 1.7 |
| 2017–18 | Minnesota | 21 | 0 | 2.3 | .333 | – | .333 | .7 | .1 | .1 | .0 | 0.6 |
| Career | 339 | 23 | 10.0 | .527 | – | .738 | 3.3 | .5 | .4 | .7 | 3.1 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Oklahoma City | 5 | 0 | 4.9 | .444 | – | .500 | 2.6 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 2.0 |
| 2016 | L.A. Clippers | 6 | 0 | 12.8 | .667 | – | .500 | 5.0 | .5 | 1.0 | .5 | 3.8 |
| Career | 11 | 0 | 9.2 | .583 | – | .500 | 3.9 | .3 | .5 | .3 | 3.0 | |
Aldrich lives in Minnesota with his wife and son.[33]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
