NBA Trade Rumors: Ellis for Iguodala Could Lift Golden State To a New Level

A Monta Ellis for Andre Iguodala trade could be just what the Golden State Warriors need to get them into the playoffs this year.

Monta Ellis is an extremely gifted scorer, but he often dominates the ball and takes his teammates out of the equation.  He was sixth in the league in scoring last year at 25.3 points per game, but was 78th in Player Efficiency Rating.

Andre Iguodala can't score as easily as Ellis, but he distributes the ball extremely well for a wing, plays solid defense, grabs rebounds, and has a considerable size advantage over Ellis.  Last year, he averaged 17.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.

Stephen Curry and Iguodala would make a more traditional backcourt at 6'3" and 6'6", as opposed to Curry and Ellis who are both 6'3".

Any loss in points would be made up by Curry, Iguodala, David Lee and Reggie Williams.  Plus, the team would be significantly better on defense, which is what new head coach Keith Smart is supposed to be all about.

So, after listing all the reasons Iguodala makes more sense than Ellis, why would the 76ers want to acquire him?

Philadelphia has already entertained the notion of trading Iguodala because of the recent drafting of Ohio State's Evan Turner.  The two players are roughly the same size and position, and have a similar style of play on the court.

Iguodala has been the top dog in Philadelphia ever since Allen Iverson left, and they haven't been successful in a significant way.

It's time for the 76ers to look to the future with Turner.  A good way to help him be effective early in his career is to surround him with people who can shoot and score.  Turner is already one of the better passers in the NBA and needs reliable scorers he can distribute the ball to.

Monta Ellis could be exactly that.

A Warriors lineup of Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala, Dorrell Wright, David Lee and Andris Biedrins would be very solid and defense and would still be potent on offense.