With the NBA trade deadline just hours away, we have our first big deal. And it involves a top center.
No, not THAT center.
The Milwaukee Bucks have agreed to trade Andrew Bogut - the top overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft - to the Golden State Warriors for high-scoring guard Monta Ellis. Disgruntled wing Stephen Jackson is also headed to Oakland, while second-year forward Ekpe Udoh and center Kwame Brown will join the Bucks.
The Warriors have been looking for a big man for some time now - they made an offer to restricted free agent center DeAndre Jordan last summer, and have repeatedly made inquiries about Dwight Howard. Unfortunately, we may not see Bogut in a Warrior uniform until next season; he fractured an ankle on January 25 and may not be able to return before the end of the year. Bogut is an excellent player when healthy, but "healthy" has been a rarity in recent seasons.
The deal breaks up Golden State's talented-but-undersized starting backcourt of Ellis and Stephen Curry. With Ellis gone, rookie guard Klay Thompson is expected to move into the Warriors' starting five. Of course, it creates a similarly talented - and small - backcourt in Milwaukee, where Ellis will be paired with Brandon Jennings. It could also be a precursor to another trade; Jennings recently suggested that he'd like to play elsewhere, but the Bucks control his contract through the 2013/14 season.
Jackson returns to the team he helped lead into the second round of the 2007 NBA playoffs. Milwaukee was eager to part ways with "Captain Jack," who did not get along with Bucks coach Scott Skiles.
Udoh has shown signs of developing into a quality defensive big man, though he lacks ideal size to play center full-time. Brown is salary cap filler - he is out for the season with a chest injury and will be a free agent this summer.
No comments:
Post a Comment