Free agent center Jordan Bell has signed on to join the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Bell also had “interest” from the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Utah Jazz before landing with the Twin Cities team, per The Mercury News writer Mark Medina.
Bell is a rising junior who previously played his brief, two-year career only with the Golden State Warriors, helping the club with a championship in his rookie season. He's primarily been used as a backup center in his NBA tenure, but Bell started in this past Finals for the Warriors.
Golden State acquired the draft rights to Bell, the eighth pick in the second round (38th overall) of the 2017 NBA Draft, from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for $3.5 million.
The Houston Rockets, who have been searching for a team to take on center Clint Capela and his contract, could have used the dynamic Bell in free agency. Houston had been tied closely to wing Jimmy Butler as general manager Daryl Morey desires another star to combine with guards James Harden and Chris Paul. Butler, however, agreed to a sign-and-trade, which sent him from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Miami Heat in a four-team deal.
The Oklahoma City Thunder reportedly had interest in Bell, but after center Steven Adams in the depth chart is Nerlens Noel, who just re-signed with the team.
The Utah Jazz, meanwhile, traded big man Derrick Favors to the New Orleans Pelicans and have two-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert manning the paint. Bell could have served as a solid backup to the French center Gobert.
Minnesota also has former Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns anchoring the middle for the Timberwolves. Speculatively, Bell would back up the former first-overall pick in Towns in the future.
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