Stephen Jackson Requests Trade to Contender

Last season, the Golden State Warriors were known for their high scoring games and offensive fire power.

They might be losing one of the primary pieces to their scoring attack.

Stephen Jackson has reportedly requested a trade to a contender, preferably the Cleveland Cavaliers or any of the NBA's three Texas teams; the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks.

"At this point, I'm 31 years old. I have four or five years left," Jackson told Dime Magazine on Friday. "I want to be in a situation where I can continually be in the playoffs and get another ring. So that's where my mind is at now."

While Cleveland would be his best chance to win a championship, there is one team that stands out that would give him the combination of not only getting to the playoffs consistently, which is one of his requests, but also giving him the chance to continue to put up big numbers.

That team is the Houston Rockets.

It's no secret that the Rockets badly need a scorer who can provide in other categories as well and Jackson fits the bill perfectly. The team needs someone who they can consistently rely on to stay healthy in the regular season and in the playoffs. The Rockets could also use a guy who the fans would want to come and see due to the loss of All-stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. 

While the Trevor Ariza signing was nice, Ariza has not established himself as a dominant scorer who can create his own shot, Jackson has. 

The potential starting lineup of Brooks, Jackson/Ariza, Battier, Scola and Anderson could be very tempting while bringing Lowry, Taylor, Budinger, Mensah-Bonsu and Dorsey off the bench.

Jackson is also a Houston native, growing up in nearby Port Arthur, Texas.

Jackson averaged 20.7 points last season while posting 5.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists, excellent numbers for a guard/forward. He also played multiple positions last year while Monta Ellis was recovering from off season surgery and a long suspension. 

Jackson played every position but center last year, which was a major reason for the boost in statistics. 

He has career averages of 15.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.3 steals.

Information from this article was gathered from ESPN.com and NBA.com. Quotes were used from Dime Magazine.com.