While it appeared Monta Ellis was being shopped around like a ShamWow in recent weeks, that appeared to be more of a gauging of interest move by the Warriors. They were trying to see what they could get if they decide to move him.
But does Ellis want out of Golden State.
Right now he wants to be a Warrior, but he wants more than just words from new owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, according to David Aldridge at NBA.com.During the hour-long (meeting between Ellis and team management last Thursday) he did make it clear that he didn’t want to be around for the meat of his prime if Golden State’s new ownership group was no more committed to making the roster better than the old regime. He did say that if the team wasn’t doing any better by the trade deadline next February, he’d like to be sent somewhere where he’d have a chance to compete. In the meantime, he’s all in with the Warriors and Mark Jackson, who reportedly has called him twice already to insist he’ll be on the roster next season.
Call it a demand with an asterisk. I still think he’s getting moved after the lockout ends, though, and especially after the Warriors took Washington State’s Klay Thompson in the first round last week...
To the new owners credit, they seem far more committed to winning. They have dumped the old regime — including coach Don Nelson — and seem to be trying hard to change the culture of the franchise. You can question the wisdom of hiring the untested Mark Jackson as coach, but that is another sign they are seriously trying to change things.
Part of that is shaking up the roster, too. And Ellis may well be part of that shakeup, no matter what he wants.
