The Warriors aren't really considering trading Anthony Randolph, are they?

December 18, 10:33 AMGolden State Warriors ExaminerMatt Steinmetz

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Is Anthony Randolph a cornerstone or is he on the move? 

Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer is reporting the Warriors and Bobcats are talking trade, with the key names being Raymond Felton, Anthony Randolph and Brandan Wright.

Link here ...

There is also little doubt that Gerald Wallace and Corery Maggette are being talked about, too.

The Warriors are looking to move Maggette; the Bobcats are looking to trade Wallace.

One trade that works is this: Felton and Wallace for Maggette, Wright and Marcus Williams.

Another trade that works is this: Felton and Wallace for Maggette, Randolph and Williams.

If the trade turns out to be the second one -- or similar to the second one in that it involves Randolph -- it would be the Warriors' biggest head-scratching move over a brief period of time in which they've had a few of them.

It would also be another indication that coach Don Nelson and executive vice president of basketball operations Chris Mullin aren't on the same page and aren't even in the same building.

Because those were among Mullin's three most recent acquisitions.

Ordinarly, this wouldn't be a potential trade I'd  pay much attention to. Anthony Randolph?

C'mon ... that's like one of those ridiculous New York Knick trade rumors that used to come out a few years back, the ones where the Warriors would give up good players and get bad ones back.

From Day 1, the Warriors have been selling this kid as a big piece of the team's future. The organization talks about him like he's got a chance to be a real difference-maker, dare I even say a guy who can help turn around your franchise.

That's what they've been saying.

And if the Warriors actually move Randolph in a package that gets them only Wallace and Felton, then it really means what's up is down and what's down is up.

How could that possibly be, after all, when the one thing everyone in the organization supposedly agrees on is that Randolph has the chance to be special?

Then again, Randolph was looking awfully unhappy as he sat on the bench and didn't play in Wednesday's loss at Indianapolis.

Even those who maintain this year's backslide was necessary, and do so under the suspect rationalization that the Warriors' long-term future is better, always add that Randolph is going to be the real deal.

Really? The real deal gets you Wallace and an undersized point guard on the last year of his deal who you can't play alongside Monta Ellis anway?

Trading Wright wouldn't be as egregious but it still would be a tough pill to swallow.

At the very least it's an admission that the Jason Richardson-for-Wright trade of 2007 didn’t work out.

If it was part of a larger deal to acquired Kevin Garnett at the time, guess what? Kevin Garnett's not walking through that door.

And if the thought was that Wright was going to be your future four, then you were wrong, there, too, because apparently Nelson is having difficulty even envisioning Wright as a rotation player.

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