Warriors extend qualifying offer to Jordan Bell

The Golden State Warriors have extended the qualifying offer to third-year big man Jordan Bell. As a result, Bell is now a restricted free agent, meaning the Warriors can bring him back next year if they want.

This isn’t particularly surprising news. Despite Bell having a slightly disappointing year - he didn’t play very much, and reportedly had some maturity issues - the team remains high on him. Damian Jones is currently the only big under contract for next season, and the 24-year old Bell has shown signs of being a quality contributor, especially in the 2019 playoffs.

So, what does the qualifying offer mean? It means Golden State is offering Bell a one-year contract for $1.8 million. If Bell accepts the contract, then he returns to the Warriors on that deal.

If Bell rejects the deal, he becomes a restricted free agent. Any other team can offer Bell a contract, as long as it’s at least two years in length. But the Warriors can match any deal that Bell signs with another team.

And since Golden State has Bell’s full Bird rights, their salary cap situation doesn’t impact how much they can pay him.

In his two-year career, Bell is averaging 3.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game, in 12.8 minutes.