<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Warriors eye forward Mullin might be trying to trade for Harrington Janny Hu, Chronicle Staff Writer Monday, July 10, 2006 (07-10) 04:00 PDT Las Vegas -- The free-agency sweepstakes kicked up a notch Sunday with the arrival of Andy Miller, who represents Al Harrington, Kevin Garnett and Patrick O'Bryant. All three command the Warriors' attention for obvious reasons, but it's the first of Miller's clients who is most important at the moment. Harrington is among about six players Golden State officials identified after the regular season as targets for acquisition, according to a league source. In April, vice president Chris Mullin all but guaranteed that his roster would not return intact, and he since has been among the league's busiest executives. Golden State already has an agreement in place to send guard Derek Fisher to the Jazz. The move can be finalized Wednesday, and it's safe to say the Warriors will not be done dealing then. "How can we be?" said Mullin, who would not confirm the Fisher trade. Mullin could be derailed if a discussed deal falls through, because the Warriors' offseason moves appear to be linked. Their trade with Utah gives them three smaller salaries to use as trading options, and they can gather more by packaging a big-money player such as Troy Murphy with cheaper talent like Mickael Pietrus and Andris Biedrins. The path to Harrington requires a sign-and-trade, most likely involving a third team, because the Warriors are over the salary cap. The most Golden State can offer the Hawks' forward is the mid-level exception worth about $5.1 million, which represents a significant cut from the $7 million he made last season. The Warriors also could face a legal roadblock: A court ruling last week prohibits the Hawks from initiating transactions that involve multiyear deals for players other than draft picks. It's unclear whether the Hawks will be allowed to sign Harrington to a long-term deal, even for the purpose of trading him, or if they will be forced to take back players only in the final years of their contracts. Miller told The Chronicle last week that his client was interested in joining the Warriors. He reiterated Harrington's desire Sunday and said the Warriors were among "a handful" of teams under consideration. Miller chatted briefly with Mullin while the Warriors scrimmaged against the Pistons next to Cox Pavilion, but spent most of his time on the phone. He later was seen meeting and greeting Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy and Toronto general manager Bryan Colangelo, among others. Harrington, a 6-foot-9, 245-pounder, would fill the Warriors' desire for frontcourt athleticism. He can play both forward positions and averaged a career-best 18.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last season. He is among the highest-profile free agents remaining after Ben Wallace, Jason Terry, Nene, and Peja Stojakovic were taken off the market. The Pacers are under pressure to make an impact deal after Stojakovic's departure, which leaves them nothing to show for the Ron Artest trade. Harrington played the first six years of his career in Indiana and a reunion there isn't out of the question. The Pacers also could be involved in a three-way deal with Atlanta and Golden State. Miller expects a quick resolution. "I think things are going to happen in a timely fashion," he said. "Now what timely defines as, I think there's other variables that come into play and make that call. But I think it's going to happen sooner rather than later." Moves start becoming official on Wednesday, and the Warriors could be busy for the entire offseason. "We're looking to get better," Mullin said. "It's not hoping. We're going to get better."</div> http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...SPGLHJSHUD1.DTL The thing I like most about this article is not the proposed trade for Harrington, but the several references to Mullin's pro-active guaruntee to get better. That's something I wouldn't have expected from him. Most GMs hide behind the rhetoric, and Mullin has been no exception. But lately, hearing him say things like "we are going to get better" in response to whether he's done dealing or not, that is refreshing.
I don't like this Harrington deal at all for several reasons. One is, if we're trying to get better, why don't we do it in an offseason where there's more small forward talent available than Al Harrington? Also, why don't we wait for the all-star break? We've got an issue at SF, but I'd hate for us to make one felt swoop of a blunder for the next 4-5 years at 7-8 figure salary per year. If this trade goes down I shall call Mullin, Mullsaiah. Unless of course, Atlanta sweetens the deal with some other rookie they have or they give us a draft pick. I'm also wondering if Pietrus or Murphy don't want to be Warriors, because Murphy sure has gotten softer since that contract signing and Pietrus... he's hard to figure out brain-wise. He's such a root-for-the-team player and yet he's quick to make statements about "more playing time in the 4th" ('05) and "I want out, the team doesn't value posessions" ('03). The guy is such a hypocrite dumbass sometimes. I don't know the guy personally, but if he made a lot of these comments around the front office or in the lockerroom, that's one reason to ship him out.
Another thing I noticed is that POB shares the same agent with Kevin Garnett and Patrick O'Bryant along with Al Harrington. Is that a hint by the writer, that we're trying to butter up KG's agent or something... Maybe in case hell breaks loose in Minny at all-star break. Even if we did get KG in some trade at the all-star break, I don't think he'd work out as well as we think he would because of a few reasons. He's not really a back-to-the-basket paint type player, he's more of a ballhandling finesse guy that can play defense, rebound, score some and get everyone else involved. In the event we should ever get KG, we better not give up the majority of our team otherwise it'll be the T-wolves situation instead of the Warriors situation. If we keep most of our team intact, I think we'd be better than we are now, but Kevin Garnett still needs guys that can get to the line and convert free throws (because he isn't that physical player and needs a team effort). Right now, I think the best option on the current warriors for "living at the line" is Ike Diogu because Baron Davis and Jason Richardson dont' really convert much at the foul line or else they'd be 21 and 25 pts per game scorers (similar to Michael Redd/Ray Allen). With Garnett playing the same position as Ike Diogu and Garnett being somewhat of an akward fit at small forward or center, I don't think we'd capitalize as a team at the foul line to be a truly elite team nor would we score that much in the paint. That lack of a paint player is why Minny has been desperate for a center, but could not find one. If they had a good center, Spreewell/Cassell backcourt might have been something more IMO. Looking at our own backcourt, I think we're overrated. If we look at an underrated backcourt, the Pistons, Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups are automatic at the foul line or from midrange or on the break. They shoot some good high volume %'s and play enough interior defense to make up for little/no post presence. Meanwhile, Jrich and Baron are on a poor interior defensive team and are 3-ball shooting addicts with very little in between dunks and threes, and they also miss a huge amount of points at the foul line when combined. How many games have we lost by a little over 3-points? Sorry to change topics a little, but I guess it relates also to Harrington because where does he fit if he's not really a power forward or not really a small forward? That's exactly what he is. He's a tweener. I hope Mullin doesn't make a hard-to-remove blunder in one season like he's done earlier.
People should hold off until the starting lineup is set before they start jumping to conclusions. All these what ifs... are starting to kill me. I mean, who knows what's really going to go down. We should just wait and see.
