Showtime24 LAKERS
08-30-2009, 01:06 PM
Much Ado About Stephen Jackson
Back in November, Warriors guard Stephen Jackson signed a $28 million extension to remain in Golden State through 2013. Nine months later, with his financial future pretty much solidified, he wants out. Thank you for all the money, Golden State, but now I'd like to win some games, please.
Jackson has reportedly informed his current team that he's got a five-team wish list that includes Cleveland, New York, Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas. Less than a day after this story broke, we're already hearing that the Mavericks could be the frontrunner.
According to DallasBasketball.com, Don Nelson is preparing to start swapping trade ideas with the Mavericks, who must have some assets that Golden State is interested in. Anyone who takes a long, hard look at Dallas's roster, however, would have a difficult time putting together a logical trade for the Warriors. The only player who makes even an iota of sense is Josh Howard, who the Mavericks still like and Don Nelson is reported to think is a bit soft. If not Howard, then who is supposed to be the main piece in this rumored deal?
The twist here is that Jackson might not even be the guy Nelson is hoping to cash out. One of the most effective statistical shooting guards in the league with 20.7 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game, Jackson is actually a pretty important piece for the Warriors. Why would they have paid him so much money to stay there if they didn't believe that?
No, in saying that he could be in the market to move a significant rotation player, the belief is the guy Don Nelson wants to move could be Monta Ellis, not Jackson. Ellis has spent a good deal of time in Nelson's doghouse (not a fun place to be as many of his former players could tell you), meaning Jackson could see his chance to be traded drift away pretty quickly if the Warriors choose to deal his backcourt mate instead of himself.
If the Mavericks aren't interested in absorbing Jackson's huge contract, which of the other four teams he listed are real possibilities? Certainly not Cleveland, who invested good money this offseason to shore up their depth at the swing positions and already have quite a bit of money tied up in their current roster. San Antonio also seems pretty set at shooting guard and small forward with Manu Ginobili and Richard Jefferson, leaving only New York and Houston as realistic possibilities if Dallas doesn't work out.
It would require Golden State to give up much more than Stephen Jackson, but someone like Tracy McGrady could provide them with a similar player to Jackson but whose $22 million salary comes off the books next summer. It would be hard to get salaries to match, but its that cap space the Warriors would want to return for S-Jax.
As for New York, Jackson would be reunited with his buddy Al Harrington, who he's still reportedly upset about having been traded away from him in the first place. The Knicks have a ton of expiring contracts they could offer up in a number of different combinations, but they're saving that to woo LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. To sacrifice that space they'd have to return a superstar—a level of play which Jackson hasn't quite reached in his career.
None of his five destinations create an obvious trade scenario, but at some point the Warriors will have to decide if they want to spend the next four seasons listening to Jackson gripe about playing for a team that's missed the postseason 14 of the last 15 years. Dallas may be the rumored "frontrunner" for now, but that could change very quickly if Monta Ellis is the guy they're targeting instead of the player who has publicly asked to be traded.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13706
Back in November, Warriors guard Stephen Jackson signed a $28 million extension to remain in Golden State through 2013. Nine months later, with his financial future pretty much solidified, he wants out. Thank you for all the money, Golden State, but now I'd like to win some games, please.
Jackson has reportedly informed his current team that he's got a five-team wish list that includes Cleveland, New York, Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas. Less than a day after this story broke, we're already hearing that the Mavericks could be the frontrunner.
According to DallasBasketball.com, Don Nelson is preparing to start swapping trade ideas with the Mavericks, who must have some assets that Golden State is interested in. Anyone who takes a long, hard look at Dallas's roster, however, would have a difficult time putting together a logical trade for the Warriors. The only player who makes even an iota of sense is Josh Howard, who the Mavericks still like and Don Nelson is reported to think is a bit soft. If not Howard, then who is supposed to be the main piece in this rumored deal?
The twist here is that Jackson might not even be the guy Nelson is hoping to cash out. One of the most effective statistical shooting guards in the league with 20.7 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game, Jackson is actually a pretty important piece for the Warriors. Why would they have paid him so much money to stay there if they didn't believe that?
No, in saying that he could be in the market to move a significant rotation player, the belief is the guy Don Nelson wants to move could be Monta Ellis, not Jackson. Ellis has spent a good deal of time in Nelson's doghouse (not a fun place to be as many of his former players could tell you), meaning Jackson could see his chance to be traded drift away pretty quickly if the Warriors choose to deal his backcourt mate instead of himself.
If the Mavericks aren't interested in absorbing Jackson's huge contract, which of the other four teams he listed are real possibilities? Certainly not Cleveland, who invested good money this offseason to shore up their depth at the swing positions and already have quite a bit of money tied up in their current roster. San Antonio also seems pretty set at shooting guard and small forward with Manu Ginobili and Richard Jefferson, leaving only New York and Houston as realistic possibilities if Dallas doesn't work out.
It would require Golden State to give up much more than Stephen Jackson, but someone like Tracy McGrady could provide them with a similar player to Jackson but whose $22 million salary comes off the books next summer. It would be hard to get salaries to match, but its that cap space the Warriors would want to return for S-Jax.
As for New York, Jackson would be reunited with his buddy Al Harrington, who he's still reportedly upset about having been traded away from him in the first place. The Knicks have a ton of expiring contracts they could offer up in a number of different combinations, but they're saving that to woo LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. To sacrifice that space they'd have to return a superstar—a level of play which Jackson hasn't quite reached in his career.
None of his five destinations create an obvious trade scenario, but at some point the Warriors will have to decide if they want to spend the next four seasons listening to Jackson gripe about playing for a team that's missed the postseason 14 of the last 15 years. Dallas may be the rumored "frontrunner" for now, but that could change very quickly if Monta Ellis is the guy they're targeting instead of the player who has publicly asked to be traded.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13706