The Golden State Warriors have finally found a deal for disgruntled swingman Stephen Jackson, sending him with reserve point guard Acie Law to the Charlotte Bobcats for forward Vladimir Radmanovic and guard Raja Bell.
The Warriors said all along they wanted to get something of value for Jackson and not take on much long-term debt, but they soon realized that kind of deal simply wasn't going to happen. It's simple business; every team in the league knew the Warriors had to get rid of him, so they started as low as they possibly could with trade offers, hoping Golden State would eventually bite.
And the winners were the Charlotte Bobcats.
Here are the contract obligations for each of the four players:
|
Name
|
09-10
|
10-11
|
11-12
|
12-13
|
| Stephen Jackson |
$7,650,000
|
$8,453,250
|
$9,256,500
|
$10,059,750
|
| Acie Law |
$2,216,160
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Vladimir Radmanovic |
$6,466,600
|
$6,883,800
|
|
|
| Raja Bell |
$5,250,000
|
|
|
|
Radmanovic has an Early Termination Option he can exercise after this season to become a free agent.
It's obviously a lot of long-term debt for the Bobcats to be taking on, especially when one of the reasons this past summer for trading center Emeka Okafor to the New Orleans Hornets for Tyson Chandler was supposed to reduce the team's long-term contract debt in order to make the team more ready for a sale. Is that no longer a concern?
Purely from a basketball point of view this is a no-brainer move for the Bobcats. Gerald Wallace is the team's leading scorer at 13.7 points a game - expect Jackson to step right in and lead this team in scoring with his 16.6 per game mark. In fact, expect that number to rise.
Law, acquired from the Atlanta Hawks in the Jamal Crawford trade this past summer, probably won't play much for the Bobcats - no different than Atlanta and Golden State. He's decent insurance in case there is an injury to Raymond Felton or D.J. Augustin, but other than that he will likely sit much of the time.
Basketball-wise what does this move do for the Warriors? Honestly, it hurts. They lose their second-leading scorer and second-leading assist man, and those skills aren't really being replaced. Bell is a defensive guard, so where he fits in a Don Nelson system is a huge question mark. There is no doubt they could use his skills, but will he be given the playing time?
Radmanovic has been inconsistent his entire career, but should thrive in the Golden State system if he's given playing time. Wide open, shoot when you want? That's ideal for him.
Both teams are currently 3-6 on the season. This trade should make the Bobcats better. Golden State? Not so much - it may just be the first of several moves to come for an organization clearly in disarray.
Who got the better end of this deal? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
From a Charlotte Bobcats press release:
Charlotte Bobcats General Manager Rod Higgins announced today that the team has acquired guards Stephen Jackson and Acie Law from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for guard Raja Bell and forward Vladimir Radmanovic.
"We are excited to add a player of Stephen's caliber to our franchise," Higgins said. "He is coming off arguably the best season of his career and we believe he will help our team on both ends of the floor with his scoring and defensive abilities. He also brings experience going deep into the playoffs, including winning an NBA Championship with San Antonio. In addition, Acie Law is a talented, young player who provides us with added depth at point guard."
The 6-8 Jackson is in his tenth NBA season, with career averages of 15.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.3 steals in 608 games played for New Jersey, San Antonio, Atlanta, Indiana and Golden State. He averaged career highs of 20.7 points, 6.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds last season. In 179 games played for the Warriors since joining the team during the 2006-07 season, Jackson has averaged 19.4 points, 5.0 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 37.9 minutes.
In nine games played so far this season, Jackson is averaging 16.6 points, 4.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.56 steals, ranking 30th in the NBA in assists and 24th in steals.
Law, who was the 11th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by Atlanta, is in his third NBA season, with career averages of 3.7 points, 1.8 assists and 1.0 rebound in 116 games played for Atlanta and Golden State. In five games played this season for Golden State after being acquired from Atlanta on June 25, Law is averaging 6.2 points, 1.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.4 rebounds in 13.2 minutes played.
Bell and Radmanovic were each acquired by the Bobcats in trades last season, with Bell joining the Bobcats on December 10, 2008, as part of a five-player trade with Phoenix and Radmanovic coming to Charlotte on February 7, 2009, from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Shannon Brown and Adam Morrison.
A nine-year NBA veteran, Bell played in 50 total games for the Bobcats, averaging 12.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 35.2 minutes. In five games played this season, Bell is averaging 12.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
Radmanovic played in 40 total games for the Bobcats, averaging 7.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 20.2 minutes. In eight games played this season, the eight-year veteran is 4.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists.
From the Golden State Warriors press release:
The Golden State Warriors have acquired guard Raja Bell and forward Vladimir Radmanovic from the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for forward Stephen Jackson and guard Acie Law, the team announced today.
Bell, 33, has appeared in five games for the Bobcats this season (all as a starter), averaging 12.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 31.4 minutes. A nine-year NBA veteran, Bell enjoyed one of his most productive NBA seasons last year, averaging 11.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 67 games with Phoenix (22) and Charlotte (45). He averaged 15.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 45 outings with the Bobcats last season following an early-season trade from the Suns.
Radmanovic, 28, has appeared in eight games with Charlotte this season, averaging 4.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 16.6 minutes. An eight-year NBA veteran, Radmanovic averaged a career-best 12.0 points and 5.0 rebounds with Seattle during the 2003-04 campaign.
Jackson, 31, has appeared in nine games with Golden State this season, averaging 16.6 points and 3.9 rebounds. Law, 24, has appeared in five contests, averaging 6.2 points and 1.4 assists.
