The Warriors are trying to put together a deal for Bucks center Andrew Bogut, writes Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group. Bogut is drawing interest from a number of teams, we learned yesterday, after the Bucks put him on the market last month.
Golden State is not optimistic a deal can get done, Thompson notes, in part because the price is high.Thompson also says part of the pessimism on the Warriors' front is because they are still looking for players who can help them this season, despite their 15-21 record.
The Bucks aren't insisting that Monta Ellis be a part of the deal, but they would want the Warriors to take back players they don't want, namely Stephen Jackson and Drew Gooden. Jackson played in Golden State from 2007 to 2009, but the coach, GM and ownership have all changed since his stay there. Gooden's contract, which has three years and $20MM left, makes him unattractive to Warriors GM Larry Riley and company.
Thompson speculates that it will take a third team in the deal for it to work.
Bogut, the No. 1 overall pick in 2005, seems resigned to the idea of leaving the only NBA team he's ever known, as indicated by his comments to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last night. "Seven years (with the Bucks)," Bogut said. "It could work for us to part ways or it could work for us to stay together. I'll make it a positive either way."
Only player the bucks could use is Ellis or Lee. Lee has a fat contract and Ellis doesn’t play defense, and we don’t need another player arguing with Skiles.
Ellis’ reputation as a difficult player is quite unfair. He’s certainly a skilled but flawed player on the court as you noted, but off the court he hasn’t been a problem at all the last few years.
Not saying Ellis is a difficult player, I agree he has not had a problem at all I can recall. Skiles just has a reputation of growing on players bad side.
Taking Jackson and Gooden back would be tough to swallow, but its still feasible if the Warriors are confident in Bogut’s health. The Bucks taking back Biedrins’ bad, but shorter, contract, along with Lee, Dorell Wright and Kwame Brown’s expiring contract works financially and leaves the Bucks with some combination of Ilyasova, Lee, Jennings, Wright, Livingston, Delfino and Mbah a Moute getting the bulk of the minutes. The Warriors rotation next year would likely be some combination of Curry, Thompson, Rush, Jackson, Gooden, Udoh, Bogut and a minor free-agent/rookie. That leaves the Warriors likely back in contention for one of the last few playoff spots if Curry and Bogut stay fairly healthy and puts the Bucks in a much more manageable cap situation.