I don't know if the Warriors would trade him, but I'm thinking that any team out of the playoffs like GS would be willing to make a deal.
I'm the biggest Ben Gordon fan and I think he's going to erupt pretty soon into that 20 ppg guy that we've all wanted. But Jason Richardson, 25 years old, is already an established NBA scorer. He's not the most injury-free guy, but he's not terrible. He's averaging a career-high 23.8 ppg along with 6 rpg and 2.9 apg. His turnovers are fairly low, around 2.05 per game, and he nabs 1.34 steals per game.
People have always talked about how inflated his steal numbers are, that he just gambles on defense but can't really stick his man. I'll admit that he's not a shut-down defender, but watching him a bit tonight, I realized that he puts out a ton of effort on defense and can keep his guy in front of him, contesting shots. He's a physical, but the smartest, defender (his teammate, Mike Dunleavy, is a smart but not physical defender).
I think he's been buried in Golden State and could come to Chicago to completely erupt as a primary scorer. He'd do so much for this team, he'd be the primary option that we don't have, the star among role players. He's also got that athletic craze to him. Paxson would like him, I think, as he comes from a solid college program (Mich State under Tom Izzo), and he generally plays with a high-jib level.
I'd be willing to part ways with Gordon, Deng and the Knicks pick for him and Ike Diogu. Those are basically our two most valuable players, but with Hinrich and Chandler still in town, we've got half our core. With our pick, we can take Splitter or Shelden, and with our cap space, we buy Al Harrington.
Hinrich/Duhon
Richardson/Brewer
Al Harrington/Nocioni
Songaila/Splitter
Chandler/Diogu/Schenscher
If we had cash left over to grab a big, like a Kelvin Cato or a Scot Pollard or Aaron Williams, I'd be happier. But we'd have a lot more balance, legitimate 22 ppg and 17 ppg guys, and we sort of consolidate our talent, use the cap space, and bring in new youth all at the same time.
Brewer growing up at the 2/3 position, Splitter growing up to take over as full-time 4, while this team would probably see a lot of Hinrich/J-Rich/Noch/Al Harrington/Chandler lineups, and gosh. I think we'd miss the defensive prowess from Deng, but Al Harrington and Nocioni are more than enough to cover that spot.
That team is talented enough, and if they are willing to be coached into top-notch defense, then THIS is a roster I'd call a contender.
Thoughts?
