Golden State Warriors in Contract Years: Jordan Bell
By Andrew Ites
The Golden State Warriors saw some flashes from Jordan Bell as a rookie, but will he earn a second contract this year?
It was pretty obvious that Jordan Bell would be a perfect fit with the Golden State Warriors when they drafted him in the second round after buying the pick from Chicago.
Bell had an impressive rookie year averaging 4.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1 block per game in just 14.2 minutes per night. However, a couple of injuries slowed down his development as he missed 25 games last season.
Bell didn’t get a ton of playing time in the playoffs as it seemed that Steve Kerr never fully trusted him in big games.
Bell is entering the final season of his two-year rookie deal, and he talked about the advantages of being a second round pick in an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio last year:
"“For me personally, I signed a two-year contract, so it’s easier for me to get to my second contract than people who are expecting a four-year contract who went first round.”"
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That second contract is coming up very soon as Bell will likely become a restricted free agent next offseason.
His qualifying offer will be $1.8 million, but I’d expect another NBA team to offer him a larger contract with a skillset that can excel in the modern game.
Luckily, the Warriors have the ability to match any offer Bell would receive as a restricted free agent in 2019.
With DeMarcus Cousins likely out until January or February, Bell will get plenty of playing time to prove that he can be the center of the future in Golden State.
He will be in a direct competition with Kevon Looney, who is also in the final year of his current contract.
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I love Bell’s fit with the Warriors, and I think he could be primed for a breakout year next season. If he performs as well as I expect him to, Golden State should pull the trigger on a long-term contract next offseason.
Here’s our analysis of the other Warriors contract situations: