NBA Trade Speculation: 10 Teams With Enough Assets to Land Monta Ellis
Monta Ellis is on the NBA trading block, and teams across the league have been scrapping together potential deals that bundle enough talent and assets for Ellis.
Ellis' emergence as an NBA star took a huge step forward in 2010-11, when he averaged over 40 minutes per game while becoming more efficient than he was the season prior. He's proven to be an elite perimeter scorer—as evidenced by his 45 percent field goal percentage and 54 percent true-shooting percentage—and is the Warriors' go-to playmaker.
The Golden State Warriors are in desperate need of some defense, and because Stephen Curry has already established himself as a mainstay in his first couple of season in Oakland, Monta Ellis' trade value can help the Warriors get better defensively.
Thus, teams that offer anything for Ellis must try to fill the void the Warriors have on defense while providing enough talent to make the trade worthwhile.
Here are 10 teams that could provide enough to the Warriors to acquire Ellis.
Philadelphia 76ers: Andre Iguodala
1 of 10The Philadelphia 76ers are the most obvious suitors for Ellis' services—before the NBA lockout had finally been put into effect, there was talks of a straight trade between the Sixers and Warriors that would send Andre Iguodala to Golden State.
This trade still makes sense, because both teams get exactly what they need.
The 76ers ranked 17th in the NBA in Offensive Rating (which is on a per-100 possessions basis). The Sixers' offense needs a ton of help, especially at the wing, where Philly doesn't have a legitimate, on-the-ball scoring threat. Though their defense ranked in the top 10, their offense stopped the Sixers from putting up as many wins as they'd like. Monta Ellis' offensive prowess would push the Sixers towards versatility.
The Warriors are exactly the opposite, as they ranked in the bottom half in Defensive Rating, but excelled offensively, ranking in the top 10 in points per game while running at the fifth fastest pace in the NBA. Adding Andre Iguodala would definitely boost the Warriors' weak defense, thanks to Iguodala's ability to defend some of the best players in the league.
The Golden State Warriors would, ideally, only like to give up Ellis, and this deal allows them to do so. Iguodala is enough of a scorer to play off of Curry, and plays defense well enough to anchor the team when they don't have the ball.
Orlando Magic: Ryan Anderson, Brandon Bass and Quentin Richardson
2 of 10The Orlando Magic made a last-ditch effort last season to surround Dwight Howard with enough talent to get the team deep in the playoffs and into the NBA Finals.
That didn't work, and now the Magic are stuck with trying one more desperation trade.
The Magic don't have much to move around anymore, but they do have some young talent that can be exchanged for an established star like Ellis.
Orlando doesn't have the defensive players that the Warriors need, but they do have Brandon Bass and Ryan Anderson, both of whom have established themselves as promising players in Orlando.
The Warriors need size, and both Bass and Anderson provide just that. Quentin Richardson will be a filler, but he provided a lot of help to an ailing Magic squad, too.
Overall, the Golden State Warriors will get enough size and more youth to make them a far deeper team, something they needed desperately as Ellis was forced to play over 40 minutes per game.
Chicago Bulls: Luol Deng, Omer Asik for Ellis, Louis Amundson
3 of 10The Chicago Bulls are, as every NBA-nik has heard, desperate for a solid 2-guard.
Monta Ellis may be the guy they're looking for.
Ellis would have to play more off the ball than he does now, but the Bulls should definitely be interested in a player who can create buckets when called on in order to set up more spacing to allow the reigning NBA MVP more room to play around.
The Bulls have enough talent to send the Warriors' way—Luol Deng is the defensive equivalent of Andre Iguodala, and his length is far more of an asset than Iguodala's is. Additionally, Deng won't necessarily hurt your offense, since he can score well off the ball, too. The Golden State Warriors could use Deng's defensive know-how and his off-the-ball skills.
Omer Asik provides size for the Warriors, too, and plus, he's only heading into his second year in the NBA, so it's not as if they're getting an aging center for Ellis. At 7', Asik lets the Warriors rely a little more on length as opposed to constant fast-breaks.
Indiana Pacers: Danny Granger for Monta Ellis, Charlie Bell, 2012 1st Round Pick
4 of 10The Indiana Pacers have flirted with the idea of trading Danny Granger, who is already 27 years old and appears to have hit his ceiling.
While that's a pretty high ceiling, Granger isn't going to be the type of player who can single-handedly lead the Pacers deep into the playoffs. Monta Ellis won't either, but considering the assets the Pacers would receive, it would be hard to turn this deal down.
The Golden State Warriors would probably love to have Danny Granger as one of their focal points—the team has enough depth on the starting lineup to play solid team ball without losing a step in effectiveness. Stephen Curry would force Granger to play off the ball, and that's something that may benefit Granger and allow him to produce even more than what he already did.
The Warriors should realize that Granger is still one of the best players in the NBA, even if your casual NBA fan won't recognize his name. He's better than Ellis, and the Pacers are willing to shop him.
Washington Wizards: Andray Blatche, Javale McGee
5 of 10Andray Blatche and Javale McGee will provide a ton of size for the Golden State Warriors, who always seem to be the shortest team on the court.
Blatch and McGee are 6'11'' and 7' respectively, meaning Golden State would have a good amount of length to bolster their defense.
Monta Ellis would become a solid 2-guard to play off of John Wall in Washington for the Wizards, too. Ellis would add to the Wizards' offensive attack.
The Warriors would bite on the trade, thanks to the youth that McGee and Blatche possess, along with their height and length.
New Orleans Hornets: Trevor Ariza, Jarrett Jack
6 of 10The Golden State Warriors are in need of some decent defense, and Trevor Ariza and Jarrett Jack can provide that.
Jarrett Jack is a feisty point guard who plays aggressively on both sides of the ball, and his toughness is something the Warriors don't yet have. Trevor Ariza doesn't provide the same toughness, but he's a solid enough team defender that the Warriors should seriously consider him.
The New Orleans Hornets would consider taking Monta Ellis solely to ensure the return of Chris Paul, but Ellis would take a huge load off of Paul by taking the ball out of his hands and scoring by himself.
Portland Trailblazers: Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum, Luke Babbit
7 of 10The Portland Trailblazers' Wesley Matthews proved to be a solid starter last season with the Blazers when he took over for Brandon Roy.
Matthews averaged over 17 points per game last season off of 45 percent, so he'll give the Warriors some of the offense they will miss when Ellis is traded; his biggest asset, though, will be his ability to play off the ball.
Nicolas Batum is also a decent player to pick up for just Ellis—he's only 22 years old and has proven to spread the floor and defend relatively well for Portland, both of which are qualities the Warriors need.
The Portland Trailblazers could use the added offense that Monta Ellis provides, especially to couple alongside Raymond Felton.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Daniel Gibson, Anderson Varejao
8 of 10The Cleveland Cavaliers still have a lot to work to do. Despite their decent draft (which saw them pick up Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson in the same night), there are still a ton of holes the Cavaliers need to fill.
Monta Ellis can fill some of these holes with his high-output scoring and his ability to take control of the ball when asked. Kyrie Irving won't be great right out of the gates, so it'll be nice for Ellis to move things along smoothly.
The Golden State Warriors wouldn't mind having Gibson, who didn't do a terrible job last season, but the main focus of the deal is coveted center Anderson Varejao, who adds much-needed size and defensive hustle to the Warriors' front line.
New Jersey Nets: Anthony Morrow, Jordan Farmar and Travis Outlaw for Ellis, Bell
9 of 10The Golden State Warriors' biggest need aside from size is depth.
This trade, which would send three youngsters in Anthony Morrow, Jordan Farmar and Travis Outlaw, would give the Warriors the depth they need to better compete with good teams. The Warriors could use some guys to keep heavy minutes off Stephen Curry, Dorrell Wright and David Lee.
The Nets would like this deal in order to better attract Dwight Howard in 2012—Monta Ellis would make a tremendous third option should Howard decide to head north for his career. And if they don't, Ellis has enough star power to bring in another key player in that time.
Houston Rockets: Goran Dragic, Luis Scola
10 of 10The Houston Rockets don't have a ton to offer the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Monta Ellis.
However, Luis Scola is exactly what the Warriors need.
Scola is a high-energy big who can play defense because of his hustle. He's also a decent offensive player, thanks to his repertoire of crafty drives and mid-range jumper. The Warriors already have David Lee, but having Scola come off the bench for Lee would prove to be a huge matchup problem for opponents.
Goran Dragic would become a solid backup to Stephen Curry, too; again, the Warriors need depth to ensure that they can go for longer stretches against quality opponents, something they had problems with all of last season.
