The Golden State Warriors announced ESPN analyst Mark Jackson as their head coach Monday night, and just hours later rumors surfaced that the team may be attempting to trade guard Monta Ellis.
The rumor, which surfaced via ESPN's Ric Bucher, is believed to send the Golden State scorer to Philadelphia in exchange for small forward Andre Iguodala.
Both player's contracts are close enough that a one-for-one swap could be made and still meet league salary cap rules. The trade would certainly considered "blockbuster" as both young players bring star power to their respective teams.
From a fantasy standpoint, this trade could have major implications as well.
Golden State's up-tempo offense (that Jackson says he will still run as head coach) has made Ellis one of the premier fantasy guards in the league, as he led the league in shot attempts and finished eighth in points per game. Playing over 40 minutes per night, the only player in the league to do so, helped as well as he finished ranked 15th overall in standard Yahoo! ranks.
Iguodala regressed for the third straight season in 2010 and seems to have run his course with the Sixers. He averaged just 14.1 points on 44.5 percent shooting and saw his rebounding drop to 5.8 per game. His assist totals saw a jump to 6.3 per game after head coach Doug Collins allowed "Iggy" to play as a point-forward, but he regressed in every other major category.
As it is for most players, a move to Golden State would improve Iguodala's fantasy value. The ultra-athletic forward would have an excellent point guard around in Stephen Curry, a proven shooter in Dorrell Wright and David Lee in the post. His shots per game would likely increase (he took just 11.3 in 2010, a career-low) and the plethora of shooters around would improve his assist numbers further. A move to the West would improve Iggy's competition, but it's hard to not like what he would bring to the table in the Warriors' open offense.
On the flip side, Ellis would likely lose value in Philadelphia but would immediately become the starting two-guard and see 35+ minutes. Jrue Holiday is more of a true point guard than Curry was, so it would be tough for Ellis to match his 5.6 assists per game mark in 2011 and, in the Sixers' much slower offense, matching 24 points per game would be even tougher.
While no deal is imminent for now, Iguodala's value would increase by a round while Ellis would drop a few spots. Much of the trade talk will also depend on who the Warriors select with the 11th overall pick. The Sixers select sixteenth.
Comments