| A Golden Trade Authored by Andrew Perna - January 18, 2007 - 11:48 am
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On Wednesday afternoon Larry Bird and Donnie Walsh pulled the trigger on perhaps the most earth-shattering trade the team has seen in quite some time. The eight-player deal sent Al Harrington, Stephen Jackson, Sarunas Jasikevicius, and Josh Powell to Golden State in exchange for Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Ike Diogu, and Keith McLeod.
Such a huge trade, involving two of Indiana’s starters, took quite a while to sink into my brain, which was floored by the news. My initial reaction as a Pacer fan, other than one of shock, was sadness. Harrington, who was drafted by Indiana out of high school, had just returned to the team and seemed poised to remain alongside good buddy Jermaine O’Neal for years to come. Jackson, despite his on-court and off-court problems, had become a staple of the Pacers line-up and was one of the few Pacers in recent years that hadn’t missed significant time due to injury.
The trading of Jasikevicius, a guy who I felt would have enjoyed better success in the NBA, surprised me only because it meant Bird was conceiting the fact that the former Euro league star’s time with Indiana hadn’t gone as planned. The addition of Josh Powell into the deal, similar to the addition of Keith McLeod, won’t have a strong impact on the roster of either team. The players were likely added because of salary restrictions and roster limits.
What worries me the most about this deal is the aftermath it will have on franchise cornerstone Jermaine O’Neal. Harrington was one of his best friends, and was brought here to be paired alongside one of the game’s best all-around post players. While O’Neal has been enjoying one of the best seasons in his professional career, Harrington was far too inconsistent for Bird and Walsh’s liking. I wouldn’t say that the Pacers ‘gave up’ on Al, but the opportunity to make a trade arose and Golden State had been coveting him since the Hawks began shopping him last summer.
Bird and Walsh defended their decision, and campaigned for Jermaine’s trust, by stating that the trade was made in part to help complement O’Neal’s play. Murphy is expected to play alongside J.O. often, and will help open up the middle for the perennial all-star. In his career, when healthy, Murphy has often averaged a double-double, and playing in the Eastern Conference should help improve those numbers. Troy also provides Rick Carlisle with a bigger body in the paint, rather than often being mismatched with the shorter Harrington banging inside.
As I pointed out, the Pacers didn’t want to have to trade Harrington, or even give up on Jasikevicius, but when the opportunity to make this deal arose they pounced on it. Indiana wanted Ike Diogu from the moment he was drafted, and have finally acquired the young forward. Walsh commented during the team’s press conference that he had been in contact with Golden States “for over two years.” Just like the millions of fans who participate in fantasy sports know, when trading you have ‘to give sometime in order to get something.’
The Pacers lose out on this deal talent-wise. Harrington is one of the league’s most talent players for his size, and both Jackson and Jasikevicius can get hot for a string of games at any moment. However, the Pacers have built themselves a better team. Bird commented on how he expected the player’s effort to increase following the trade, and how the new line-up should allow them to run a much-more balanced attack. The Warriors run a fairly up-tempo offense, but guys like Murphy and Dunleavy, who have high basketball IQs, will help coach Carlisle switch into the half-court offense when needed.
The trio of Murphy, Dunleavy, and Diogu will also make Indiana a much stronger team on the boards. Harrington is a famously weak rebounder for his position, and Jackson and Jasikevicius never contributed on the boards. The infusion of Golden State players will help the Pacers manage games better, with all three (excluding McLeod) able to provide help on the glass. Murphy comes from the same mold as Jeff Foster, but with the added bonus of an offensive game. Only time will tell, but Murphy could help O’Neal raise his level of play even higher – to a level we didn’t even know he was capable of.
Financially the deal won’t affect the team a great deal. The contracts of Dunleavy and Murphy are one year longer than those of Harrington and Jackson. The team won’t suffer any salary cap penalties directly relating from this deal, but if all goes well the roster will remain more stabile for a little longer (not likely). The deal will allow the Pacers to give Danny Granger and Marquis Daniels more consistent playing time, with Granger having a chance to move into the starting line-up.
The deal seemingly hinged on the inclusion of Harrington, but the trading of Jackson seemed to be a long time coming. No matter what Donnie Walsh says, the trading of Jackson had something to do with his off-court problems. The move gives Stephen a new start in California and a clean slate as a Warrior. However, he could see a decrease in playing time with Jason Richardson, Matt Barnes, and Monta Ellis already established in Golden State.
Walsh’s most resounding comment came when he denied that the team was looking to trade O’Neal. Instead he spun the deal to look as if they did it to improve O’Neal’s play as I mentioned earlier. I’m not sure how Jermaine feels about it, but Bird hinted that they spoke with the Pacers about the deal earlier Wednesday. Bird and Walsh may have bridged the present and the future of the Pacers together, mentioning that the acquisition of Ike Diogu reminded him of when O’Neal came to Indiana from Portland. I’m not sure that Ike will have the immediate impact Jermaine had, or will even get the chance to make such an impact, but he is the hidden gem in this deal.
Many people, fans included, are speculating that the Pacers are using this deal to build up to another before the league trading deadline hits next month. I’m not sold on that theory, but I would like to see Indiana turn and make a play for the Clippers’ Corey Maggette before it’s too late. What this deal was meant to accomplish was to keep Jermaine O’Neal in Indiana for a long time. While Jermaine might be a little upset by the trade at first, he’ll have to understand that this deal was made in order to, among other things (improve chemistry and teamwork issues), tailor-made the team to his style of play.
The way things are going in Indiana, Danny Granger might become the longest tenured Pacer before long. Foster’s name is always mentioned in trade talks, Tinsley has greatly underperformed, and O’Neal might ask his way out of the heartland. The fans will have to assume an extended ‘wait-and-see’ approach to this Pacer team. But it’s hard to form strong team chemistry and keep the fans behind you when the names on the back of the jerseys are constantly changing…
What’s your take on the Indiana-Golden state trade?: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com |
