New Minnesota Timberwolves center Jordan Bell picked youth over experience in his offseason free-agency decision to sign with Ryan Saunders and the T-Wolves.
The former Golden State Warriors big man joked on Tuesday during his introductory press conference that he's able to talk about Canadian rapper and actor Drake, also a Toronto Raptors superfan, with his new head coach as opposed to previous captain Steve Kerr.
Kerr, 53, is a former NBA player turned executive and now coach of the Warriors since 2015, leading the Bay Area franchise to five consecutive Finals appearances and three title victories in his five-year tenure with the team. “Coach Kerr’s never talked to me about Drake before,” Bell told the assembled media while he sat next to top Minnesota brass, per The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski.
Saunders, meanwhile, is the 33-year-old son of late Wolves general manager and head coach Flip. Saunders had been an assistant for the team since 2014 before replacing the then-fired Tom Thibodeau in January of this year as interim head coach. Wolves president Gersson Rosas and GM Scott Layden installed the wunderkind Saunders as the full-time coach in May, signing him to a multi-year agreement.
Bell is coming off of two success-laden seasons with the Warriors where he participated in a diminished role on the ever-title-contending organization. Golden State purchased his draft rights from the Chicago Bulls in 2017 and contracted the second-round selection, who would compete in 125 games for the Warriors in his first two NBA seasons. As a free agent during the 2019 summer, however, Bell decided to sign with the Twin Cities franchise, inking a one-year deal.
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