The Warriors and Bucks finalized the first major trade of 2012 last night, with Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh, and Kwame Brown heading to Milwaukee in exchange for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson. The deal is an interesting one, particularly since Bogut's fractured ankle could sideline him for the rest of this season.
My thoughts: the move is a risky one for both sides. Bogut has suffered multiple major injuries in his career, and hasn't played more than 69 games in any of the last four seasons — his health has to be considered a question mark going forward. For the Bucks, pairing Ellis with Brandon Jennings may not be ideal, since both players are at their best when they're controlling the ball. Considering the Bucks were also able to acquire a youngster with upside in Udoh and swap Jackson's hefty 2012/13 salary for Brown's expiring deal, I prefer Milwaukee's side. But if the Warriors slide down this year's standings (keeping their top-seven-protected draft pick), then get a healthy, productive Bogut back next season, the deal will end up looking pretty good for Golden State.
Here are a few more reactions and opinions on the trade:
- The upside is higher for the Warriors than the Bucks in the deal, though Milwaukee obviously benefits more in the short term, writes Zach Lowe of SI.com.
- Christopher Reina of RealGM doesn't love the trade for either side, giving the Warriors a C grade and the Bucks a C+.
- In a piece for The Basketball Jones, Mark Deeks says the trade doesn't make sense, concluding that two teams that were going nowhere before are still going nowhere.
- The Jazz and Knicks are the big losers of the deal, according to John Hollinger of ESPN.com (Insider link). The Jazz will own the Warriors 2012 first-rounder if it's not a top-seven pick, while the Knicks are currently tied with the Bucks for eighth in the East. Hollinger likes the deal a lot for the Bucks, particularly because of the cap ramifications.
- In a statement, Warriors GM Larry Riley said the team was "extremely excited" to acquire Bogut, as Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle writes.
- Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News explains the Warriors' motivations for the deal, and why it should work (in theory).