Ex-Warriors champion lands deal with Pacers

Nearly two calendar years after he last played in the NBA, one former Golden State Warriors champion is getting another bite at the apple.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported Saturday that ex-Warriors big man Jordan Bell has signed with the Indiana Pacers on an Exhibit 10 deal (a one-year deal for the league minimum.) Scotto adds that Bell is expected to serve as a veteran leader for the Indiana Mad Ants, the Pacers’ G League affiliate.

The 28-year-old Bell was a second-round draft pick in the 2017 NBA Draft (No. 38 overall) and played the first three seasons of his career with the Golden State Warriors. He was a part of their 2018 championship team, providing useful spot contributions with his energy and athleticism. Warriors fans also remember Bell for his antics at that year’s parade.

At 6-foot-8, Bell has averaged 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game over five NBA seasons (albeit in just 12.0 minutes per game.)

Bell did battle some maturity issues early on in his career and has not appeared in the NBA at all since making one brief cameo for the Chicago Bulls in the 2021-22 season. But he seems to have come a long way since then and will now have the opportunity to serve as a vet in the G League with the hopes of eventually getting a call-up to the Pacers’ NBA roster.