A prodigal son could be making his return to Dub City. Jordan Bell, a 25-year-old center who suited up for the Golden State Warriors from 2017-19 could be making a return if head coach Steve Kerr is open to a reunion. The 6-foot-8 cager is set to hit free agency after he was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies.
For those who are unaware, Bell opted to shun the Warriors qualifying offer last summer to join the Minnesota Timberwolves. As most would guess, things did not exactly work out between Bell and the T-Wolves. The 38th overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft was part of the multiplayer deal involving Clint Capela and Robert Covington and ended up with the Grizzlies.
Though they are out of the NBA playoff race, it appears the Timberwolves want to explore options. With Anthony Tolliver available, Minnesota needed to open a roster spot. The unfortunate casualty is Bell who lasted only two games. He averaged 5.0 points and 1.5 rebounds, seeing only 10.5 minutes of action per Basketball-Reference.com.
Now a free agent, there is no telling which team would take a chance on the young center. The Dubs looms as a logical choice according to Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Warriors are trying out players via 10-day contracts and the center-forward could be given a chance if he is interested via that route. However, it is no assurance that Bell would remain in the Bay Area after the current NBA season.
Worth noting is that while the Dubs are rebuilding, they landed three former top NBA picks. Andrew Wiggins and Marquese Chriss seem to have secured their spots while Dragan Bender has good chances of doing the same. Also, the fact that he turned his back on the Dubs before the current season could leave a mark.
It has not been an impressive season for Bell this 2019-20 wars. He hardly impressed with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played in 27 games averaging 3.1 points and 2.9 rebounds. These were practically the same norms he had when he played for the Dubs last season.
Unless Bell shows something that Kerr would like, there is no assurance of a longer tenure. If the Dubs pass on him for obvious reasons, Bell may need to wait until the summer to find a new team. With his averages, it will be interesting which team would give him a try. One thing going for him is that he is still young and can improve with the right guidance.
