Update: Golden State to trade Harrington to Knicks for Crawford (second deal involving Z-Bo?)

by Norsktroll on Nov 21, 2008 7:27 AM PST Comment 46 comments

Update II: As first reported by the New York Post's Peter Vecsey all the Warriors would have gotten back in a lopsided trade would have been aging power forward Malik Rose and his cheaper contract. Now, instead they will get the Knicks top scorer Jamal Crawford (who is good friends with Brandon and lives nearby in the off-season) in a deal that presumably makes Golden State's backcourt better yet more crowded, and helps NY to get under the cap for the free agent lollapalooza in 2010. A conference call and approval by the league is scheduled for later in the day.

Harrington had made it publicly known that he wanted out of Warriorland. His current contract runs through 2009-10, which is one year shorter than Crawford's though Crawford could opt out of his deal after this season with an early termination option (not very likely). So one more item of hot trade rumors is off the market (other teams potentially interested in Harrington included Indiana and Charlotte).

- - -

As posted below in the comments, there are rumors a second deal might go down that sends former Blazer Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins to the Clippers for Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley to clear even more cap-space.

Update III: That second deal also went through today. See this fanpost for discussion.

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I don't get it....

did golden state’s main motivation lie in keeping harrington out of the west? cuz otherwise that’s a crap deal right?

The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out burns out farms and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.

by faith on Nov 21, 2008 7:30 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

yeah, but if they're blowing up the team...

then what do they care if it’s east or west?

Greg Oden, where posters happen.

by ratbastird on Nov 21, 2008 7:37 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

i agree

they should want to give it to the west, so the west is stronger and thus they lose more games and can then get a better draft pick.

Whoever was posting Oden up....was just stupid.
by Eventine

by prezofdeath on Nov 21, 2008 7:49 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Jamal Crawford is playing like an All Star.

I honestly think this gives the Warriors a good chance of making the playoffs.

Jamal Crawford might make a better point guard than Monte Ellis. He’s a great three point shooter (currently leads the league) and Clearly he’s been doing well with D’Antoni. He should fit like a glove playing Nellie ball.

Stick him on a team with Stephen Jackson, Monte Ellis, Anthony Morrow, Corey Maggette and Andris Biedrins and he’s going to be getting a lot more open looks. The weird thing is, I think the team is actually better than they were with Baron Davis. Andris Biendrins might end up being the most improved player of the year, Jamal Crawford has been playing the best basketball of his career, and Morrow has come out of nowhere.

I love the Warriors, so this makes me happy. It also means that there is a team that I can actually enjoy on NBA league pass since the Blazer games are all blacked out.

Don’t be surprised if the Warriors are the team fighting the Blazers for that 8th spot.

I want to put points on your face.-Rudy Fernandez

by Winchester on Nov 21, 2008 10:57 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

His response was to my original post, when it looked like all the Dubs would receive was cap relief through Malik Rose. This deal of course sends them a much better player.

by Norsktroll on Nov 21, 2008 11:12 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

OK.

That makes sense.

I want to put points on your face.-Rudy Fernandez

by Winchester on Nov 21, 2008 11:17 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

...

I once played Jamal Crawford in a street pickup game in Seattle. He was much smaller then though. Be beat me 2-11 or something. Told me he was going to be in the NBA & I remember watching him when he went to Michigan as well.

Acquire Serge Ibaka.

by TheGreatDane17 on Nov 21, 2008 11:38 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

wrong

by GeeEssDub on Nov 21, 2008 4:40 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Wow...

I really feel for golden state! First Davis, then this… just… OUCH!!!

I’m sure they’ll get something else back, but still. What does new yuck have that you’d want?

Greg Oden, where posters happen.

by ratbastird on Nov 21, 2008 7:38 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

?

They are stacked…

Ellis
Crawford/Morrow
Corey Maggette
Steven Jackson
Biedrins

Are you joking me? we better be ready to play small ball with Nelly again & our SF’s will have to play PF since they play so many skilled players.

Acquire Serge Ibaka.

by TheGreatDane17 on Nov 21, 2008 11:41 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah.

Don Nelson said he was thrilled with the deal. Golden state is going to kill it.

Call me crazy, but I think this puts Golden State in the playoffs. They were never going to defend well anyway, but now they can outscore just about anyone.

I want to put points on your face.-Rudy Fernandez

by Winchester on Nov 22, 2008 10:54 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The trade is changing.

It may now be a three way with The Clippers.

It may involve Zach coming back to the west coast, to LA.

GSW would likely get Crawford, and NY would get lots of contracts that expire in 2010.

This may actually help both west coast teams.

by Timmay! on Nov 21, 2008 7:53 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

I figured something like that would show up

I also thought it might be Zach, which has me laughing like crazy. Clippers are going down if they’re taking him on! I can’t believe another team would be suckered like that!

Dear god I’m glad I’m not a clipper fan.

Greg Oden, where posters happen.

by ratbastird on Nov 21, 2008 8:23 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

In defense of StatBo

HIs numbers are up this year. He’s not dogging it and he’s stayed out of trouble. Just saying.

I guess Dunleavy learned how to put together a team from Bob Whitsitt.

by Bedhead on Nov 21, 2008 8:35 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yea but I think most of the reason for that

is that he is playing for D’Antoni. Once another coach takes over his development…

Jaws were hitting the floor as Greg repeatedly attempted to tear the rim off the backboard...

by TheOdenator on Nov 21, 2008 9:24 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Zach Randolph ...

is still an inefficient player—there’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

The peripheral statistics prove it, too.

by AK1984 on Nov 21, 2008 3:33 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Golden State is the new Portland...

…………………….. the only team in the NBA younger than the Blazers — and they’re pulling a page straight from the KP playbook (trade a malcontented start to the Knicks for pennies on the dollar and build a more homogeneous team culture in the process).

"Sergio is clearly the MJ of 3rd string point guards!" —Mortimer Pritchard

by timbo on Nov 21, 2008 8:07 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Copy-cats!

Now if they could sucker us into trading them Rudy and Sergio, they’d be in heaven. Can you imagine those fast breaking freaks in their offense? Sa-weet!

Whoever was posting Oden up....was just stupid.
by Eventine

by prezofdeath on Nov 21, 2008 8:43 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Good Lord.

Sergio might end up there. He would be a perfect fit for that team.

How about Sergio for Marco Belinelli and a first round pick?

I want to put points on your face.-Rudy Fernandez

by Winchester on Nov 22, 2008 10:57 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Not to mention Crawford is fire.

Acquire Serge Ibaka.

by TheGreatDane17 on Nov 21, 2008 11:48 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The only reason they are younger

…is that they don’t have RLEC on the roster. Take him out of the equation and the Blazers roster’s average age drops to something like 15.2 or so.*

*this was intentional humor

by DonkeyShins on Nov 21, 2008 4:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I 'm suprised

I thought Z-bo was fitting in and doing well in NY this year. Whatever.

by twggyy on Nov 21, 2008 9:01 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

I think it is because

He has roughly 85 years and just as many millions left on his contract.

by Bedhead on Nov 21, 2008 9:09 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yep. It's all about Lebron.

by Timmay! on Nov 21, 2008 9:29 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

It may be wise to gut the roster in terms of clearing cap space

But with their two best players potentially gone, they will really be a crappy team the next two years. Will LeBron want to play surrounded by losers even if they land a top draft pick until then?

by Norsktroll on Nov 21, 2008 9:35 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Mmmm no.

Lebron wants rings.

G.O. for R.O.Y.

Vote for our All-Stars:
http://www.nba.com/allstar2009/asb/eng/landing.jsp?cid=127

by j-blaze on Nov 21, 2008 9:51 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Actually

He wants fame and money. He needs a championship to reach that upper level of fame. Without it, he’s a foot note.

Greg Oden, where posters happen.

by ratbastird on Nov 21, 2008 10:28 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Even if LeBron wins a title

in a small market like Cleveland, it wouldn’t be enough to sate his ambition.

James has been quoted as saying he wants to be one of the richest men in the world someday. He sees his basketball career as a springboard to even greater fame and fortune. An NBA title in a media backwater hardly propels him toward that goal. There are only two US media markets big enough that will enable him to move closer to his ultimate dream.

by knickfan on Nov 21, 2008 12:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Wouldn't it be amazing

If he came here and built his own Media Market/Empire? He could single handedly bring in 100’s of thousands of new fans. A few NBA championships and LeBron will be the richest man in the world no doubt from all the new endorsements. The city of Portland would grow tremendously as well.

Acquire Serge Ibaka.

by TheGreatDane17 on Nov 21, 2008 1:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Why, in all seriousness, would LeBron James want to come to Portland?

Even as someone who lives in a suburban community just 30 miles north of Seattle, I can rationally comprehend why someone of James’ prestige would rather play in the biggest American media market, New York City, instead of a mid-level city like Portland.

With regards to endorsements, moreover, it’s not the man who makes the city; rather, it’s the city that makes the man. If James wishes to fulfill his desire of eventually becoming a billionaire, then the path to that promise land certainly won’t cross through anywhere within the Pacific Northwest.

Anyway, as much as I enjoyed myself in Portland the several times I’ve visited there, I’m not so delusional to think that it’ll ever catapult to anything beyond a nice, yet comparatively quaint metropolitan area.

by AK1984 on Nov 22, 2008 11:24 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I like the idea of LeBron coming here

Reality pretty much tells me that it won’t happen, but if he is honestly serious about establishing a legacy of a champion like MJ, and becoming a billionaire, then he is going to need rings. Not just a “ring,” but “rings.”

If he is really serious about winning championships, then he will have the best opportunity with Portland, New Orleans, LA, and a few others. If he just wants a max contract and a team built around him, then he should go to one of the teams clearing cap space or stay with Cleveland. Building a team for an instant championship worked in Boston, but how long will that last?

I’m more likely to win the lottery, and there isn’t a lottery in Hawaii, than LeBron coming to Portland. But there is a tiny little naive fan in me, that likes to think that it is all about winning, and that little naive fan has a glimmer of hope that the Blazers will sign LeBron.

by tominhawaii on Nov 22, 2008 2:48 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Why do so many folks erroneously think that Zach Randolph is efficiently productive this season?

Once y’all look beyond the relatively useless surface stats (e.g., points per game, rebounds per game, et cetera), you’ll subsequently learn that Randolph is no better than in the past.

I suggest that y’all should check out http://www.82games.com when given the opportunity.

by AK1984 on Nov 21, 2008 3:37 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

It appears this will be just a Crawford for Harrington deal - straight up.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3717209

by Over Analysis on Nov 21, 2008 10:00 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

very interesting

this seems like it means less PT for either Anthony Morrow or Kelenna Azuibuke… or both. Crawford is talented, but does Golden State really need another gunner?

For the Knicks, wasn’t Crawford having a good season?

Not sure I understand this one… I’m gonna have to check out GSOM and Knickerblogger.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Nov 21, 2008 10:12 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

His contract is one year too long for the 2010 off season unless he opts out

And NY seems to have no problem with tanking to get another high draft pick. Maybe the even played too well for Walsh’s taste :)

by Norsktroll on Nov 21, 2008 10:15 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I love it for the Knicks -

Harrington can still be a very special player, and I think he will thrive in D’Antoni’s offense. They also get to clear cap space for ‘10. And more minutes for Nate Robinson!!!! I’m actually only excited about this because I have Al Harrington and Nate Robinson on my fantasy team, otherwise I could really care less. It does seem that now the Knicks would be shopping Z-Bo very hard. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Zack get traded shortly. Should be an interesting week.

by Over Analysis on Nov 21, 2008 10:32 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Don't Be So Sure

Nelson plays with 4 G/F and 1 center.

Acquire Serge Ibaka.

by TheGreatDane17 on Nov 21, 2008 11:48 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Good riddance

I have never been a fan of Jamal Crawful’s game. This trade can’t be consummated soon enough for my liking.

by knickfan on Nov 21, 2008 11:14 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Interesting plan

D’antoni said, essentially, we are just concerned with cap space now. Once we have achieved cap space, then we will worry about being competitive.

Hmmmm, might it not be too late then?

Are the Knicks so convinced that LeBron will sign simply to be in New York without a thought towards the roster of flotsam they will then field?

Apparently.

The cowards never started
The weak died along the way
Only the strong survived
They were the Trailblazers

by lukeyhere on Nov 21, 2008 11:34 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Golden State just got weirder

I have a feeling that the brand of Nellie-Ball we are about to see is going to be mindblowing.
PG: Morrow (Monta when he is healthy)
SG: Crawford
SF: Jackson
PF: Maggette
C: Biedrins

Throw in Azubuke, Wright and Randolph and you’ve got the most ridiculous small ball lineup I’ve ever seen. Either this is going to be revolutionary or its going to fall flat. Is it wrong to hope for both?

by Jiggamant on Nov 21, 2008 12:44 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Anthony Morrow is a pure shooting guard; that's it.

Jamal Crawford, on the other hand, is capable of playing point guard, while Stephen Jackson has done admirably thus far this season in the point forward role made popular by Paul Pressey during the 1980s.

by AK1984 on Nov 21, 2008 3:41 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs