Oh what the 'Morrow brings. A week ago, the Warriors nation was down and out. A 107-102 loss to the Pistons, the team once again wilting down the stretch. At 3-6, with two losses to the Grizzlies and a two game losing streak it wasn't a question of a being a lottery team, but who to pick in the lottery.
Fast forward one week and the Warriors are riding a two game win streak behind the shooting of UDRFA Anthony Morrow and the Warriors are 5-6 and are currently holding onto the eighth seed in the West.
Currently the Warriors have three wings signed for five years or longer Corey Maggette, Stephen Jackson, and Monta Ellis whose expected back in roughly two months.
They have two young shooting guards in Anthony Morrow and Kelenna Azubuike both capable of scoring roughly 20 a game, a young back-up PG in CJ Watson who seems to be improving every game and a possible future superstar small forward in do-everything-but-pass Anthony Randolph.
In short, one of our long term contract wings has to go. Some will say Jackson, but he just signed long term and ownership and teammates love him and he's going nowhere.
That leaves Monta and Maggette. Maggette is good, but Monta can be great. Maggette is solid on and off the court. He's a hard worker who definitely spends some time in the weight room. He scores 20 a game and is our best Free throw shooter and could be the best wing PF to every play under Nellie.
Unfortunately, the emergence of Azubuike and Morrow and their cheap contracts makes Maggette expendable. However, if Monta Ellis is not the same player he once was, look for Monta to be traded or his contract to be voided by Rowell and co.
That said, who wants Maggette and where can he land and what do we want in return for him? The trade scenario's and possibilities are endless. What we want in return can be debated for hours on end by fans. However, the most important factor is the bottom line and final say; finances and ownership. In other words, an expiring contract or contracts.
But why do we want nothing in return but a salary cap space? Reason No. 1: Ownership would love to save money. At the end of the day Warriors basketball is a business.
Reason No. 2: The Dubs have young players to play the wing spots: Morrow and Azubuike and notice I havent' even mentioned Belinelli and Nelson.
Reason No. 3: We need a Power forward. David Lee, Paul Millsap, Brandon Bass, and Carlos Boozer are all free agents at the end of this season. That's just off the top of my head, there could be others, but that is a solid short list.
It is important to note that Maggette is not eligible to be traded until sometime in December, and Monta is not expected back until the same time. So look for a trade to happen in January after the new year and is contingent upon the continued stellar play of Morrow and a healthy return by Monta with all conflicts resolved.
Here are some trades that 1) work, money matches, 2) net the Warriors cap room/picks, 3) Involve players on the trading block: Marbury, Al, Stackhouse and teams looking to make a move, and 4) may involve other lesser players like Marcus Williams, Marco, Kurz, etc.
No. 1 Stephon Marbury and a pick for Al Harrington, Corey Maggette etc. Will save the Knicks roughly $10 in luxury tax penalties this yr. Could also involve other players/picks.
No. 2 Eddie Curry and Malik Rose for Al and Maggete. I couldn't stand to look at Curry for three years.
No. 3 J-Kidd and picks for Al, Corey, etc. Will also save the Mavs $10 mil, but I doubt Cuban would even look Nellie's way.
No. 4 Three team trade involving the Mavs, Dubs and Knicks.
Well, for those of you who want to play the young guys (we do have nine players with two years of experience or less), that inolves getting rid of one of our vets excluding Centers Biedrins and Turiaf. Leaving Al (who's not playing and is definitely on the trading block), Jackson, Monta and Maggette.
By default, Maggette has to go (preferably with Al) unless Monta is not Monta. Getting rid of Al and Maggette for an expiring contract like Marbury would free up $20 million with which we could pursue Boozer, Millsap, David Lee, or Brandon Bass. I would love to sign Paul Millsap for a cool $6 million per year for four to five years.
I welcome your thoughts come at me with as much criticism, disdain, agreement, corrections (but not spelling this is not English grammar class and I never proofread for this kind of stuff) and trade scenarios. I love trade scenario's.
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about 1 month ago
Congrats on your first article on BR.
Good job. i liked it.
about 1 month ago
Thanks,
By the way, don't take any writing/critiques personal. I'm just a passionate long time Warrior fan and living in the East Coast for a couple of years has had it's hard aggressive influence upon me. Most importantly, at the end of the day it's just basketball. It's not what's truly important in life, but it sure is fun.
about 1 month ago
Trade Maggette. I was never a big fan of the signing.
about 1 month ago
I wonder if the Knicks would do Stephon Marbury, Anthony Roberson and a 2nd round pick for Corey Maggette, Al Harrington and Marcus Williams? All 3 Warriors guys fit into D'Antoni's system. Marbury is a cancer, but thankfully he'd only be here for half a year. Yeah, we're giving up a good player in Maggette, but he's replaceable and we're also dumping Al's contract. I know the Knicks want to get better because either their 1st round pick this year or next year goes to Utah.
about 1 month ago
This is the guy the Warriors need to get at the end of the season: http://www.nba.com/playerfile/paul_millsap/career_stats.html
If we get rid of Maggette (and Al for an expiring contract), think of it as trading Maggette for Paul Millsap, and saving $5 million a year($15 million/year savings for next 2 years if we also get rid of Al). I think Millsap can be had for $5-6 million a year. Consider Carl Landry a similar player with similar stats got extended by the Rockets for 3 years and $9 million, or $3 million a year.
Boozer(player option), Brandon Bass, and Leon Powe are also 2009 free agents. Powe can definitely be had on the cash strapped Celtics, but I really would rather have Paul Millsap, because he can get blocked shots unlike Leon Powe.
Warrick, Charlie V and David Lee, unfortunately have qualifying offers. Meaning 1 more year or extended.
Man, the more I think about Paul Millsap on the Dubs, the more I want to see a trade happen.
about 1 month ago
I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. I love Maggette's game. What happened in the Blazers game? Maggette played a much taller player in LaMarcus Aldridge and frustrated him to a 2-7 shooting game and had only 4 points and 4 rebounds.
It seems the Warriors in the last couple of games have taken more of Maggette's approach on offense. Instead of settling for a jumper they are attacking the rim or playing to their strengths. Anthony Morrow is the one that has been shooting lights out. With him shooting so well it's leaving Azubuike wide open for either drives or getting him a 3 and his percentage with Morrow in the lineup is .75 percent he's only taken 4 3's though, but it's much better than what he started out shooting this season.
Once Monta returns he's now a wing player anymore. He's going to be the point guard. So expect more drives from Ellis than the mid range jumpers. With Ellis's driving ability it makes the Warriors even more scarier because if Morrow continues his shooting Ellis is going to get a lot of points in the paint, or more teams will be looking for Morrow and leaves someone else wide open.
The Knicks are looking to buyout the contract of Marbury. So there may not even have to be a trade to get Marbury. The Warriors do need a point guard especially in late games the Warriors almost lost the game against the Blazers because of it.
I don't think that Marbury is a cancer. I think it's the media that portrays him as a cancer. Overall for his career 19.7 points per game and 7.8 assists per game would definitely help the team out. I think the situation in New York with the moves by Isiah Thomas and James Dolan approving hindered him. Keep in mind Marbury did lead one of those Knicks team to the playoffs.
about 1 month ago
If anything trade Al Harrington and Marco Belinelli, a 2nd round picks, for Ryan Anderson and a pick.
about 1 month ago
I doubt the Mavs would ever deal with the W's. Cuban seems like he holds a grudge. But as a longtime Cal/Warriors fan, how awesome would a Jason Kidd homecoming be?
The other team that I think needs to make a move is the Cavs. The LeBron window could be closing...They are built for the regular season, not for a 7 game series against Boston. I'm not sure how the Warriors could take advantage of this, maybe in a 3 way deal???
about 1 month ago
There's no way Utah isn't going to keep Milsap around. The Warriors need instant offense off the bench. Look at the Blazers game the Warrior got outscored by the Blazers bench 50 to 14.
about 1 month ago
Your obviously a proponent of playgin the gusy as am I. You stated,
"I think that Nelson needs to start setting it up as this point in the game no matter what the score is they're coming in."
Tell me how do you propose to get ANY young guys minutes, when they get sparse minutes as it is . When Monta Ellis comes back, chalk him up to 30 mins a game which means everbod's mins will get cut.
Do people realize the consequences of keeping Maggette on the roster? It means we may lose the young guys on our roster Morrow, Wright etc, because we do not have the money to reason them in the future. Instead the money is tied up in a $10 million/year bench player. RIDICULOUS!!!
We have enough guards everyone know our weakness is at the PF spot PG spot, but we have Monta coming back, which leaves PF. I don't know, but Boozer or Millsap would look pretty good in a Warriors uniform next season, and chances are, the Jazz can't afford to keep them. However we need some cap space.
I like Maggette, love his game Maggette played a great game the other night against Aldridge at the PF spot, unless he proves he can do that night in and night out, against the West i.e. Amare Stoudemire, Pau Gasol, Dirk, Duncan, Boozer, West, then I say trade him. Maggette at the 4 spot for the rest of the season is not a reaistic scenario. Aldridge is good, but he's not even a top 7 Power Forward in the West.
Al Harrington and Marco for Ryan Anderson and pick???? Dude, this doesn't even work money wise!!! I suggest you look at the rules of NBA trades. Salaries mush match-up there are certain parameters. Try trade machine or tradechecker. In the future, please make trades that are actually possible. Trades that don't work salary wise just irk me and decreases the proposee's credibilty as knowledgeable on the subject.
The salary parameters, that's basic stuff and perhaps the number 1 rule of proposing trades. Will it acutallly work in the NBA with their trading parameters.
about 1 month ago
I really don't want to keep blasting you, but your forcing my hand.
Here's Utah's cap picture. http://hoopshype.com/salaries/utah.htm
Boozer is opting out, he's already made that clear. He may resign with the Jazz, but he wants to get paid. Millsap is a free agent.
Stating that, "There's no way Utah isn't going to keep Milsap around," couldn't be further from the truth. Utah may keep Millsap and Boozer, but that is highly unlikely because they will be over the cap and the Jazz are rarely over the cap. There is also a dollar per dollar fine for being over the cap, and something like a $4 million bonus for being under. Lots of reasons to be under the cap.
In reality, I think the Jazz keep one or the other depending on how both play and the cost at the end of the season.
In regards to the Warriors needing instand offense off the bench. Doesn't Azubuike bring that when Monta comes back and Azubuike comes back to the bench or Morrow, or our young guys CJ Watson, Randolph, Brandan Wright.
Where do you stand play the young guys or keep the vets? Make up your mind. Or do you just like to randomly argue and continually contradict yourself?
about 1 month ago
Ryan,
I concur I would love to seee Kidd back in the Bay!!! The support would be crazy!!! I'm glad I'm not the only one who remembers his days at Cal. I can still remember those back to back behind the back dribbles bringing the ball up court. Yeah I don't think Cuban will budge.
With the Cavs. We could get Wally Scerbiak and Eric Snow for Al and Maggette, but that is sucha rip off we'd need a pick in return. Wally and some scrub for Maggette and Al might work, but still a rip-off. Their team sucks. I've seen their roster and our players our way better. I'd take JJ Hickson, but I doubt they give him up as they need him inside.
about 1 month ago
Good article, while I'm still not sold on Maggette I'd like to see a little more out of him before deciding to ship him out. Clearly though we need to trade some quantity for quality. Too bad there aren't any teams shopping superstar players for pennies on the dollar, but I'm sure it'll happen at some point. The Warriors are poised for one of those deals where they give up a lot of complementary pieces for one big superstar gamechanging player. I don't know who it is yet, but I can feel it coming....
about 1 month ago
Dave,
Very good point. I'm thinking we do exactly what you said and 1.) trade some pieces for a stud like what the Celtics did with KG and Ray Allen or 2.) trade some of our long term contracts for and expiring contract.
There are ONLY 3 ways to get Superstar player
1.) Draft
2.) Trade
3.) Free Agency
If we don't get one via trade, I'm guessing free agency. Looking at the trade horizon, the only solid PF available is Zach Randolph, but he is not a Nellie type player. The top 8 in the West are all unavailable. Which leaves Free Agency.
By the way, the only superstar position I've been looking at is PF, we're set at every other position.
about 1 month ago
I said it was a trade I would like to make I never said it would happen. I like Ryan Anderson's game it's similar to Al Harrington's in the fact that he can go down low or he can shoot from the outside. Anderson is the better rebounder.
about 1 month ago
Dude,
Once again the trade could never even happen. Al makes $10 million Anderson I'm guessing makes $1-$2 million. There can only be like a 15% difference between salaries unless a team is under the cap in which case they can take back as much salary as allowable. 99.9% of all trade scenarios never happen, but a trade proposal should at least be a possibility. The NBA is not like the NFL and MBL where salaries have no bearing on trades in regards to trading parameters.
My trade revised: Kidd and David Lee to Golden State, Al, Maggette and Brandan Wright to New York, Marbury to Dallas.
Does anybody find it odd that Marbury is no longer being bought out. That the Knicks are waiting until Jan 9th? I find it odd especially when you consider the players union got involved as the Knicks were hell bent on buying him out but now they back out. Something is up. He's going somewhere. Also odd that this came out after the rumors of Dallas wanting Mabury.
If it was only Kidd for Marbury, this trade would have happened already. Which tells me that the Knicks don't want Kidd and some other team is involved. Could it be the Dubs? Don't know, but I hope so. Kidd would be the perfect mentor to Monta and would expedite perfectly to our youngsters. Kidd like Marbury is also an expiring contract. Stackhouse could also could also be involved in this trade with Stack going to New York and either Maggette or Al coming to Dallas. If you didn't know, Stackhouse has also requested a trade.
And yes I'm not a Brandan Wright fan. He and Randolph are the same size. Let's be real. AR can play the 3 spot, but to exploit match up problems, Nellie will play this guy at the 4 spot in the future. Brandan Wright may be good in the future, but I'm not willing to wait much longer, especially with AR who is younger, bigger and more skilled. More importantly AR plays with fire.
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