A beloved recent Chicago Bull is coming back home. And not a moment too soon! Unfortunately, it’s not quite Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Joakim Noah or Jimmy Butler.
It’s Javonte Green, an all-hustle reserve wing whom head coach Billy Donovan often insisted on playing out of position at power forward, despite him standing all of (a listed) 6’4″. Green quickly emerged as a fan favorite, thanks in no small part to his fantastic dunks, which fit right in alongside Slam Dunk champs Zach LaVine and Derrick Jones Jr. Green was something of a raw athlete without much of a handle (he could shot three pointers from the corners when left wide open, but never at a high volume). Nevertheless, fans enjoyed his moxie and motor. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports that he’ll be inking a 10-day deal with the team.
He hasn’t played on an NBA roster since 2022-23, when he was last with the Bulls. He’s spent this season playing for the Golden State Warriors’ NBAGL affiliate club, the Santa Cruz Warriors. Green boasts averages of 11.6 points on .489/.355/.824 shooting splits in 11 regular season games with Santa Cruz. He’s also notching 6.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 0.6 blocks and 0.6 dimes a night.
The Chicago Bulls are signing guard Javonte Green on a 10-day contract, sources tell ESPN. Green — who played 113 games for the Bulls from 2020 to 2023 — played with Santa Cruz of G League this season. pic.twitter.com/OCiF5THDzR
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 22, 2024
The 30-year-old vet out of Radford first arrived in Chicago from the Boston Celtics as part of a three-team 2021 trade that also included the Washington Wizards. Green and Boston power forward/center Daniel Theis were sent to Chicago, while former rim-running Bulls center Daniel Gafford landed in Washington alongside fellow Chicago alum Chandler Hutchison, a wing. The Bulls shipped out floor-spacing center Luke Kornet to Boston, while the Wiz chipped in their own version, Moritz Wagner.
Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Although he played sparingly as a deep-bench option after being acquired in the trade, Green soon blossomed into an exciting energy reserve during his two full seasons with the Bulls, 2021-23. In that span, he averaged 6.5 points on a .547/.360/.780 slash line, 3.8 boards, 0.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks, in 20.6 minutes. Injuries ultimately marred his run with Chicago, as they did for many Bulls in those two seasons. Playing as a small ball four against much taller, much heavier foes certainly couldn’t have helped.
He’s undergone two arthroscopic surgeries on his right knee, in 2020 with Boston and the next year with Chicago. Green’s athleticism remains intriguing, and although he’s not going to elevate the very-hurt Bulls’ ceiling much, it will still be a treat for appreciators of the club’s last playoff appearance (in 2022) to take in this reunion, for however long it lasts. Welcome back, Javonte!
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.