Could the Bulls be welcoming back a familiar face in the near future? It wouldn’t go in line with the “younger and more athletic” plan, but Gar Forman and John Paxson seem to be ignoring that anyway. And their roster is in desperate need of more perimeter shooting…
Moments ago, D-League Digest‘s Adam Johnson reported that former Bulls sharpshooter Ben Gordon has signed a contract with the NBA Development League.
Former NBA veteran Ben Gordon has signed a D-League contract, league source tells @DLeagueDigest. Windy City Bulls sit atop waiver order
— Adam Johnson (@AdamJ_NBAGL) January 18, 2017
Memory Lane
That’s right, BG7! The London native is the only player in NBA history to win the Sixth Man of the Year award as a rookie, which he did in the 2004-05 season. Gordon holds second place on the Bulls’ all time list for three pointers made (770) and is sixth in three point percentage (41.5%). He became a fan favorite for his clutch shooting late in games as the scrappy Bulls finally climbed out of the post-Jordan era cellar. Along with Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng and Andres Nocioni, Gordon led the Bulls to the playoffs in 4 of his first 5 seasons. In 2007, they swept Dwyane Wade and the defending champion Miami Heat in the first round.
The Bulls’ new D-League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, have the first priority on the waiver wire. If they decide to take a chance on Gordon, now 33, it’s very possible he could instantly become the best player on that squad. But does he still have enough left in the tank to play at the NBA level? To quote Derrick Rose, “who knows?” Ben hasn’t been on an NBA roster since 2015, when he was cut by the Golden State Warriors during the preseason. Wade is doing his best to prove he still has it at 35, but he’s a former superstar with a different skillset.
Signing Gordon for the rest of the season doesn’t make a lot of sense, given the fact that the Bulls’ young wings and backcourt reserves need more minutes to develop over the final 40 games. On the other hand, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see GarPax bring Gordon on board for a playoff push. It’s just the right combination of nostalgic and stupid. Wasn’t that their motive when they signed Wade?
