Hearing the phrase " the '90s Bulls" conjures up a host of memories for NBA fans, both inside and outside of Chicago. One of the niche players of those teams — yet one of the most impactful — was guard BJ Armstrong, who was pulled out of the Windy City in the 1995 expansion draft.
Armstrong was a critical member of the franchise's first three-peat from 1991-93. The 6-foot-2 guard played every game across those three seasons, averaging 10.3 points and 3.6 assists.
After Michael Jordan retired following the '93 Finals, Armstrong stepped into a key role. He was an Eastern Conference All-Star in the 1993-94 season, averaging 12.3 points and 4.0 assists while shooting a league-best 45.3 percent from 3-point range.
But he only played one more season in Chicago.
BJ Armstrong was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1995 expansion draft
The freshly created Toronto Raptors selected Armstrong with the No. 1 pick in the '95 expansion draft, but he never played a minute for the organization.
According to Basketball Network, the Bulls left Armstrong unprotected to create cap space for Jordan's return and the eventual signing of Dennis Rodman. The Raptors pounced, but Armstrong had no plans to suit up north of the border.
The then-28-year-old was traded from Toronto to Golden State, where he played parts of three seasons with the Warriors.
As Josh Cornelissen of Lake Show Life points out, Armstrong remained productive but lost the chance to earn three more rings playing alongside Jordan:
""An absolute sniper from the guard position, B.J. Armstrong won three titles with the Chicago Bulls and then stepped up into an All-Star berth during Michael Jordan's retirement season. The Toronto Raptors took Armstrong first overall in the 1995 expansion draft, but he refused to report. Toronto traded him to the Golden State Warriors instead, and he played another five seasons in the league, but missed out on the second three-peat in Chicago.""Josh Cornelissen, Lake Show Life
The NBA is discussing another round of expansion
Per Shams Charania of ESPN, the league plans to vote on adding two more teams based in Seattle and Las Vegas at this week's board of governors meeting.
The process is expected to move forward with the league beginning to take bids for those two franchises. It would be a massive move for the league with billions of dollars potentially at stake.
The Raptors' ability to land a player like Armstrong, who was fresh off an All-Star campaign in '95, should put teams on notice: Vegas or Seattle, if they're the recipients of new franchises, are coming for stars.