Unlike perhaps other young NBA players in his position as a free agent, Jordan Bell did not seek long-term security. Nor did he consume himself with how he could fatten his wallet.

When Bell accepted a one-year deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves on the veteran’s minimum, it reflected his hope to satisfy something that he did not experience consistently through two seasons with the Warriors.

“An opportunity just to play,” Bell said in a phone interview with Bay Area News Group. “Money wasn’t really the issue.”

Playing time, however, occasionally became an issue with Bell when he wore a Warriors uniform.

Amid a flooded frontcourt that included Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins and Kevon Looney, Bell appeared in 68 games and averaged only 11.6 minutes per contest. Though the Warriors anticipated Bell would build upon a promising rookie season, he regressed in points (from 4.6 to 3.3) and shooting percentage (62.7 percent to 51.6 percent). Though the Warriors remained intrigued with his athleticism and playmaking, the Warriors also became frustrated with his decision-making, preparation and maturity.

Instead of bemoaning on what could have been, though, Bell expressed gratitude for what did happen. The Warriors paid the Chicago Bulls nearly $3.5 million to ensure Bell’s rights with the No. 38 pick in the NBA draft. He won an NBA title his rookie season. He learned under future Hall-of-Famers in Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala and Green.

“It was a really great experience,” Bell said. “I’m really grateful for the opportunity and for them to buy my draft rights. Everything there was great for me.”

Well, almost.

The Warriors granted Bell a $1.8 million qualifying offer last week to make a restricted free agent. Once the Warriors acquired D’Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade with Brooklyn to offset Kevin Durant’s departure, they had no plans to match any offer sheet that Bell would receive. They wanted to maximize cap space to retain Looney, who eventually agreed to a three-year, $15 million deal. Then, Bell shifted gears toward exploring other options, but recalled feeling confident because of the fluid nature of free agency.

“Kevin, the whole season, was supposed to go to the Knicks. All year it was ‘Everyone wanted to go to the Knicks.’ Then nobody ended up going,” Bell said. “I’ve always learned to just ignore that and wait for everything to just happen.”

The Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz also expressed interest in Bell. He added “there were a couple of others on the table, but they weren’t a good fit for me.” Bell thought, otherwise, about the Timberwolves because of a young roster that also features Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. Bell knows Towns well since CAA both represent them, and they have often trained together in the offseason. Bell also reported feeling encouraged with how Minnesota coach Ryan Saunders outlined his role.

“He was telling me the kind of player he thinks I can be. When a head coach tells you stuff like that, it makes you feel good to be wanted,” Bell said. “I think we can do something special over there, especially with the young coach that we have.”

What will Bell show? Can he blossom into a versatile forward with more playing time? Or will the added pressure become too much to ask considering he won’t have the luxury of playing around more experienced and championship teammates? The Warriors may have grown frustrated with Bell’s uneven progress. They often praised him, however, for remaining intent to learn and thrive through his mistakes.

All of which sets up an intriguing third-season for Bell, who could largely determine his long-term future when he becomes a free agent again next summer.

“I don’t want to set out goals. You end up focusing on the wrong things instead of just playing basketball. My thing is to show everybody what player I can be. I’ll take what I learned from Golden State,” Bell said. “I can bring a championship mentality and I know the stuff you go through with the ups and downs of a long season like that. I take what I learned from that team and try to share that experience.”

Before that, Bell plans to host a celebrity basketball game at Long Beach State on August 17. All of the proceeds will benefit “Race to Erase MS,” or multiple schlerosis. Bell said he and his girlfriend are affected by that disease, which affects about two million Americans. After seeing former Warriors teammate JaVale McGee host charity softball games to help all countries have more access to clean water, Bell considered that idea “to be the perfect blueprint for me.”

“Being famous – you attract a lot of people. So I want to use that to my advantage,” Bell said. “So I’m doing it for a great cause.”

Even through his exhilarating highs and frustrating lows with the Warriors, Bell has held out hope he can also become helpful for Minnesota after being around championship equity. This time, he will likely have more playing time to develop.

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