Chicago Bulls selling Jordan Bell to Golden State was embarrassing
The Chicago Bulls selling Jordan Bell to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night was a baffling move that was should be embarrassing to the organization.
The Chicago Bulls had an interesting showing in the 2017 NBA Draft on Thursday night. They finally made the much-needed franchise-altering move in trading Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves (along with the 16th overall pick) for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the seventh overall pick (which they used to take Lauri Markkanen, a seven-footer who can shoot).
The Bulls undoubtedly sold low on Butler, but it was a move that had to be made. This team is in a desperate need of a complete rebuild and trading Butler was the right way to kick that off. The trio of LaVine, Dunn and Markkanen is uninspiring, but it is some young talent for them to look to build something around.
That being said, I cannot come up with an excuse for what the Bulls did in the second round. The Bulls held the 38th overall pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers via the Sacramento Kings from the Luol Deng trade way back in 2014. With the 38th overall pick, they took Oregon big man Jordan Bell, which was a fantastic selection.
Chicago will take Jordan Bell at 38, per source.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) June 23, 2017
Bell was one of the stars of the NCAA Tournament, showing elite defensive ability, great speed and quickness and an interesting mix of offensive skills. Bell is a long and athletic big man who fits perfectly as a stretch-five in the modern NBA. For a moment, we had reason to be excited about the Bulls making a strong move in their rebuild.
However, that did not last long, as we soon found out that the Bulls had sent Bell to the Golden State Warriors.
Sources: Golden State acquired Jordan Bell from the Bulls for cash. A lot of it. https://t.co/2QXpmuJIyb
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 23, 2017
Warriors break record by paying $3.5 million for draft rights to Jordan Bell https://t.co/cNljEjqa5x
— Dan Feldman (@DanFeldmanNBA) June 23, 2017
But they did not trade him for assets. No, why would a rebuilding team need young and controllable assets? They sold him to the best team in the NBA for money that goes in ownership’s pocket. Unreal.
Bell would have instantly been one of the most interesting players in this Bulls’ rebuild. He has legitimate long-term upside as a versatile big man in the modern NBA. It was a baffling move that ownership and this front office should be embarrassed with.
Next: A deep look at Bulls' draft pick Lauri Markkanen
Trading Butler to jump-start a complete rebuild was the right move to make. However, I have no confidence that this organization will rebuild this team correctly. The Chicago Bulls are a mess and are unlikely to get this figure out anytime soon.