<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">CHRIS MULLIN HAS spent a lot of time around the Warriors' office in recent weeks, and with good reason. No, he's not thinking about firing coach Mike Montgomery. Not yet, anyway. Rather, he's preparing to cash in on a distinct advantage the Warriors enjoy over most NBA teams this month. A high lottery pick, expiring contracts, young talent, several affordable contracts in the $5 million range ... With many tradeable players and assets residing in Oakland, the road to a big-time, league-wide deal before the Feb.24 deadline just might go through Golden State. No, you're not going to get Jason Richardson or Troy Murphy. Probably not Andris Biedrins, either. And I'm guessing you don't want Adonal Foyle, Zarko Caparkaba or Luis Flores. But the Warriors have a lot more to offer than that. The question is: Are Mullin and Rod Higgins, both rookies in their current roles, creative and savvy enough to put together the best possible deals, ones that might involve three or four teams? Here are the key possessions the Warriors could afford to surrender ? and at least one possible destination for each ? if the right offer were to come their way: -Clifford Robinson: He's the most likely Warrior to go because, other than Dale Davis, it makes the least sense to keep him. Robinson is a free agent at season's end who won't be back with the team next season. And while an expiring contract ($5.3 million) is good, it means a lot more to a team trying to get under the salary cap, which Golden State cannot do. The Heat would die to add a defensive-minded sidekick up front for Shaquille O'Neal, but the Warriors have no interest in the asset Miami is dangling (Eddie Jones). So the key will be finding a third team that could throw a shooting guard into the mix (Latrell Sprewell or Jalen Rose?) that would attract Miami and allow Mullin to pluck teenager Dorell Wright from the Heat. </div> Source
Sexy article. In my opinion, that Boston trade is pretty unrealistic, but if Mullin could pull that and then the Pietrus<->Nene swap, our chart would look like this: 1: Payton/Fisher/Flores 2: JR 3: Pierce/Dunleavy 4: Murphy/Carbarkapa/Najera 5: Nene/Foyle/Biedrins No first round pick (given up in the Boston trade), but we would have a second rounder and the full MLE to pick up a quality swingman, which is not unrealistic, looking at the draft prospects and potential free agents. Or we could always Towel it for another season, which would be pretty solid with JR/Pierce/Dunleavy absorbing about 95% of the wing minutes.
Pierce is capable of firing off assists as much as Richardson is and either of them are dangerous in transition. I like the fac that Pierce and Payton are from Oakland. Pierce is probably the most dangerous one on one. Nene can do his thing, but I wonder if he's any good with the outlet passing because Murphy will get tons of good looks if Nene is playing worthy of commanding double teams (if he's pulling Zach Randolph style of play it's probably not good). I think Nene will be more of a putback guy and someone that can capitalize on alley oops and missed shots for putbacks. He kind of reminds me of what Dampier did for us last year. Rock the rim on the putback, play physical and put a body on someone. We need at least one of those type of guys in the front court that will let their presence be felt.
