Nov

16

Jackson Traded For Bell

Posted by Stephen Rhodes under NBA News, NBA Trades 

Stephen Jackson (left), Acie Law (second from left), Raja Bell (second from right), Vladimir Radmanovic (right)

The Golden State Warriors traded in a headache and got a scorer without emotional baggage Monday as according to the Associated Press, the team traded swingman Stephen Jackson and Acie Law to the Charlotte Bobcats for guard Raja Bell and forward Vladimir Radmanovic; the trade was completed late Monday morning.

As one would expect, Jackson will become the Bobcats’ shooting guard while Law’s role – if any – is yet to be determined; Bell will more than likely start at SG for Golden State while it’s unclear what Radmanovic can offer the Warriors. The team, in addition to getting a decent guard, also gained some payroll relief as part of the bargain; Bell’s $5.3 million contract expires after this season while Radmanovic’s owed $13.3 million for this season and next, assuming that he exercises his option for 2010-11. Meanwhile, Charlotte is on the hook for Jackson’s contract, whic is for 4 years and $35 million.

I think this is a trade that will benefit both clubs long-term, assuming that Jackson doesn’t become a distraction for Charlotte. It is abundantly clear that Jackson was a disruption on a team that was dysfunctional with his presence on their roster, Bell and Radmanovic should provide a sense of professionalism that the team hasn’t had for some time which could possibly provide additional wins for Golden State. Jackson will provide the scoring the Bobcats need, but at what cost? The issue here is whether Jackson is able to re-invent himself and become a “model citizen”.

For right now, both teams got what they wanted; for the Bobcats sake, Jackson will need to be on his best behavior. Larry Brown will definitely earn his paycheck with Jackson on the roster.


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