Beloved member of Bulls 2022 roster joins championship contender
Entering this summer’s free agency period, the outgoing status of Javonte Green was one of the Chicago Bulls biggest offseason question marks. Despite averaging just 5.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, Green was a vital piece of the Bulls’ bench with his defensive intensity and 37.1% three-point shooting. Best of all, Stacey King’s commentary always managed to inject some life into games whenever Javonte would hustle to impact games at the margins.
Unfortunately, Chicago decided to go in another direction this summer, allowing Green and fellow free agent Derrick Jones Jr. to walk in free agency despite productive stints with the team in 2022-23. It appears the Bulls are banking on the development of Dalen Terry and the new acquisitions of veteran Torrey Craig and rookie Julian Phillips to bolster the bench depth at the forward slots this season.
This wouldn’t be the end of the 30-year-old veteran’s NBA story, however, as Green has found another chance in Golden State. Warriors beat reporter for The Athletic Anthony Slater broke the news of Javonte getting another chance in Golden State earlier today.
Javonte Green will join the Warriors’ farm system after a successful stint with the Bulls.
Javonte should have no problem fitting in with the Warriors, a team that has developed quite the track record of making the most of hustle players who can keep pace with their movement-heavy offense. Provided he’s made a healthy recovery from his knee injury last season, Green should have no problem keeping up with his G League-caliber competition.
That will prove especially true if Green’s three-point shooting holds up. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are no doubt the duo with the most perimeter gravity in the league, which should open up even more opportunities for Javonte to thrive if he manages to get minutes with the main cast.
This news is more difficult to bear after seeing Dalen Terry repeatedly struggle to get much of anything going, even when pitted against Summer League and preseason competition. The front office has no excuse now if Green goes on to succeed, considering his minimum contract would have been appetizing to one of the biggest penny-pinching ownership groups in professional sports.
I’d like to wish Javonte the best in his future endeavors in Golden State, and look forward to him eventually cracking their full roster. Green was nothing but a consummate professional in Chicago and deserves to see minutes in the NBA again, even if it means the Bulls are going to have another poor decision blow up in their face once again.