Golden State Warriors: With Bogut Shelved, a Look Back at the Monta Ellis Trade

As any NBA fan knows, the Golden State Warriors have been in the Pacific Division basement for so long, their mom is begging them to stop playing video games and go outside. In an effort to change their losing culture, the Warriors shipped off Monta Ellis to the Bucks last season for Andrew Bogut, the franchise center they've needed for decades.

At the time of the trade, Bogut was injured but expected to return for the 2012-13 NBA season. However, according to this report from ESPN.com, Bogut's ankle injury was much more serious than initially thought and he may be out "indefinitely."

Meanwhile, Monta Ellis has continued to produce on the offensive end for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Thus far, the Warriors have gotten almost nothing in exchange for their former face of the franchise.

So, was the trade worth it?

Absolutely.

Even if Andrew Bogut never plays basketball again, it was a good trade.

There were howls of protest from the Warriors' fanbase after Ellis was traded, but getting rid of him was the right move at any cost.

Monta Ellis was emblematic of the last several decades of Warriors basketball—fun to watch on offense, atrocious on defense and never quite good enough to get the wins. If the Warriors wanted to play defense, change the culture and win basketball games, Ellis had to go.

Additionally, it tends to be forgotten that the Warriors also received Stephen Jackson in that trade, whom they quickly flipped to the Spurs for Richard Jefferson. Jefferson has added depth to what is the best Warriors bench in years.

The news that Bogut is out indefinitely will only further incense an already-impatient fanbase. Yet the team is 8-6 and getting the kind of gritty victories they need to win if they want to be a playoff team.

It was tough to see Ellis go, and it's even tougher to see the player they traded him for in street clothes.

But the franchise has finally assembled a complete team, and they've got a legitimate shot at contending for a playoff spot.

This Warriors fan says, who needs Bogut?