The Bulls Sent Dickey Simpkins to Golden State for Scott Burrell
On September 22, 1997, Chicago traded frontcourt reserve Dickey Simpkins to Golden State and received swingman Scott Burrell. The Bulls were preparing for what became the final championship season of their Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen era, and Burrell could provide flexible perimeter defense and shooting behind the established starters. Golden State was willing to trade a wing it had obtained from Charlotte the prior February for another big man. Both clubs’ transaction records show a direct two-player exchange. No draft picks accompanied the swap. The trade makes most sense as a search for complementary bench roles, not an attempt to acquire a new star.
Burrell Played Eighty Games on the Championship Bulls
Burrell appeared in 80 Bulls games during the 1997-98 regular season, averaging 5.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 13.7 minutes. He started only three times, but the regular availability mattered as Chicago battled injuries and workload around its veterans. Burrell also appeared in 21 postseason games as the Bulls won the 1998 championship over Utah. That is meaningful, direct team-specific value from a reserve acquisition. He did not become a central scorer, and the title belongs principally to the team’s established leaders, but a reliable eighty-game bench swingman on a title roster is a tangible outcome. Chicago’s B+ grade reflects that role.
Simpkins Was Only a Brief Golden State Reserve
Simpkins appeared in 19 Warriors games during 1997-98, totaling 196 minutes and making no starts. He averaged 1.0 point and 2.2 rebounds per appearance, a limited frontcourt return compared with the Bulls’ 80 games from Burrell. Simpkins later returned to Chicago in a separate transaction, but that subsequent Bulls stint is not a Warriors benefit of this September swap. Golden State’s C+ reflects brief roster depth from a player whose value in Chicago had been greater than his opportunity in Oakland. The head-to-head comparison should be based on the two clubs’ direct 1997-98 results, not Simpkins’ earlier Chicago championship appearances or his eventual reunion with the Bulls.
Final Verdict
Bulls Win. Chicago receives B+ for Scott Burrell’s 80 regular-season appearances and contribution to the 1998 championship run. Golden State earns C+ after Dickey Simpkins played only 19 games without a start. Burrell was the more useful direct acquisition.