The trade made sense on paper for Golden State when at the 2012 trade deadline the Warriors sent Monta Ellis to the Bucks for Andrew Bogut — Golden State got an inside presence they need and they could give more run to then rookie Klay Thompson.
But it did more than that.
Warriors coach Mark Jackson said the Warriors culture changed in a good way with the trade. From NBA.com’s Scott Howard-Cooper, via Sulia.“It helped change the culture. Obviously it was easier to pull the trigger because we knew what we had in Klay and it was time for him to be a starting two-guard. And he does everything right.”
How did that trade change the culture? Jackson paused four seconds.
“It helped change the culture,” he finally said.
Anything specific?
“You know.”
If you don’t know, you may want to ask Larry Sanders about it.
Monta Ellis is owed $11 million next season, or he can opt out of that contract and get the security of a longer-term deal at whatever price the market will bear. But it will be interesting to see what teams would make offers to Ellis, a shooter whose style is losing popularity in a league focused more on efficiency. And then there will be the chemistry questions.