Trading Places, Part 1: Ray Allen, Jason Richardson on the Move

While the brightest stars in college basketball were being drafted on June 28th, a handful of big NBA names were on the move across the country. Here's a look at how things will shake out around the league.  

Boston 

While the Ray Allen trade has caught some flak among Celtic fans, it's nowhere near as awful as it's been made out to be.

Allen is a bona fide scorer and has arguably the smoothest jump shot in the game. With Allen and Paul Pierce, the Celtics will have plenty of opportunities to score from the outside—which should create space for Al Jefferson down low.  

No, Allen will not lead the Celtics to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance..but his presence will take pressure off Jefferson, Gerald Green, and Rajon Rondo, and allow the youngsters to focus on fitting into the offense and learning the game.

Also, Allen and Pierce do have a chance to lead the Celtics to the playoffs. That experience will pay off for the young Celts when the kiddie corps is ultimately counted on to deliver.

And the players traded away? Jeff Green may or may not be a useful player in the NBA. Delonte West was behind Rondo on the depth chart, and isn t as talented as Allen. Wally Szczcerbiak didn't factor into the Celtics' present or future plans.  

Of course, the deal has its share of questions: Can the Celtics make the playoffs with Allen and Pierce? Will Allen's ankle injuries hinder his ability to produce points? Would the Celtics have been better off keeping Jeff Green, trading Pierce, and shoving Gerald Green, Jefferson, and Rondo into the spotlight?  

Personally, I think the answer to the last one is no. Forcing responsibility on young players is inherently fraught with risk. At least with Allen and Pierce aboard, the Celtic toddlers get to grow up with a pair of older brothers taking care of the hardest chores. 

 

 

Seattle 

 

After a disappointing stretch to start the decade, the Sonics are blowing up the roster and handing the team to Kevin Durant.

Durant is touted as a once-in-a-generation star, and should be able to handle the pressure from Day One. Green and West will contribute to the Sonics future, whereas the team hopes Szczcerbiak's work ethic will rub off on his young teammates in the present.  

Charlotte 

The Bobcats have quietly stockpiled a wealth of young talent.

Raymond Felton, for one, can certainly become an excellent point guard. Emeka Okafor is already a defensive dynamo. And in Gerald Wallace, Charlotte has a player who can put up 20 points a night with an offensive game that's still unrefined.

The Cats' biggest need is a pure scorer. Adam Morrison was drafted to be that guy, but he hasn't shown that his college skills will translate to the NBA. As an alternative, the Bobcats traded for Jason Richardson—who has been a pure scorer for many years with Golden State.

Richardson is an average defender and poor decision-maker on the dribble, but he can fill it in bunches, and has never been shy about taking and making big shots in the fourth quarter.  

Obviously, Michael Jordan believes the Bobcats will be ready to compete sooner rather than later. With Richardson augmenting such a talented roster, don t be surprised if the Bobcats claw their way to a playoff berth.  

 

Golden State  

In trading Richardson for Brandan Wright, the Warriors dealt an explosive scorer for an unproven rookie.

Golden State felt that Richardson's contract was too burdensome to keep, and decided to lighten their glut of wing scorers by moving J-Rich to the other coast. Still, it s strange that the Warriors are looking to the future rather than the present a year after notching an incredible playoff upset.

Can Wright help Golden State this season? To an extent, yes. Wright is one of those hyper-athletes Don Nelson loves, and can block shots, rebound, and run the break. But how he'll develop is anybody's guess. You never know with rookies—and it will probably be three or four years before Wright learns to channel his athleticism.

Wright may help Golden State in the future, but losing J-Rich can't be good for Golden State's present.  

And what does it say about Al Harrington that the Warriors traded one of their best scorers for a rookie who plays Harrington's position? Obviously, Nelson wasn't impressed with Harrington's dismal playoff performance, and wants more athleticism in his frontcourt.

If nothing else, this season will be an important one for Harrington to prove his viability in a Nellie-Ball system.