OT: Jason Richardson traded to Phoenix

[campybatman]

Phoenix Suns GM Steve Kerr has faced a lot of questions during his short stewardship of the Suns, but the only question to ask after Wednesday's trade with Charlotte is whether he was wearing a ski mask. The deal for Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley and a 2010 second-round pick cost him only Raja Bell, Boris Diaw and Sean Singletary, and it immediately restores the Suns' flagging hopes of breaking back into the West's upper crust.

For that, he can thank Bobcats coach Larry Brown. This is the danger when you hire Larry -- that he'll almost immediately want to trade everyone on his roster and that the people in charge won't have enough spine or clout to wave off his requests.

Richardson also is a great fit in Phoenix, especially if the Suns revert to playing more up-tempo. He's a high-flying finisher in transition, but he also led the NBA in 3-pointers made last season and is hitting 45.6 percent on 3s this season. With post threats Amare Stoudemire and Shaquille O'Neal to set him up, one shudders to think how many triples he can rain in with the Suns.

Dudley is 23 but plays much older -- he's a subpar athlete but a smart, strong combo forward with a knack for rebounding and scoring around the basket. The second-year forward figures to fill Diaw's role as a reserve forward, though it's possible he could supplant Matt Barnes at small forward if he plays well.

From Charlotte's end, Diaw is the key to the deal. Theoretically, he solves the team's glaring hole at power forward, though in practice he's hardly bigger than Dudley. Although he's an undersized 4, he's capable of defending the position and can take advantage of slower bigs at the other end with his ballhandling skill. However, Diaw is a mediocre shooter and a reluctant scorer; in this sense, he strongly resembles another former Brown favorite, Derrick McKey.

Bell had been visibly declining over the past two seasons and is probably better suited to a bench role at this point in his career. That might happen if the Bobcats opt to use D.J. Augustin and Raymond Felton together in the backcourt. Brown will value Bell's feistiness, but his offensive output and lateral movement aren't what they once were.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/s ... ger-081210

[Celtics_Champs]

Yeah, saw this yesterday. Good to see Jared Dudley go to a good team.

I really, really, like the trade for the Suns. I don't understand it for the Bobcats.

[Mahoney_jr]

Don't overvaluate Richardson. Charlotte got him without giving up a player from their rotation and the team got worse. I don't think Richardson has the complete game in him, which is needed to contribute to winning basketball, but that's just me.

Giving up the 2nd rounder was unnecessary though...

[Scalamental]

Mahoney, I think your overlooking the fact that the suns got rid of two guys that weren't helping them very much for an allstar. Don't get me wrong, the suns are still spiraling to the bottom, but richardson puts the ball in the bucket.

[aboubata]

Don't overvaluate Richardson. Charlotte got him without giving up a player from their rotation and the team got worse. I don't think Richardson has the complete game in him, which is needed to contribute to winning basketball, but that's just me.

Giving up the 2nd rounder was unnecessary though...

they expected him to be the go to guy and he didn't deliver.
I would think he could do much better in phoenix, the guy played well along side davis.
Nash, Richardson, Barnes, Stoudamire, and Shaq is a good starting lineup for these guys. if Hill could play PF, then they should do well and be able to matchup against top teams.

I think they are one of the top teams in the west, alongside Lakers, Spurs, Denver and Portland. If the hornets and Jazz could get back on track then good luck to whoever is going to come out of that conference.

[Prophet_C]

I don't see why they gave up Dudley. I guess Bell and Diaw are Brown type of guys and he was the reason the deal was made. I like it for the Suns but they still have no defense. I saw a rumor on the GB that would send Nash to TOR and Calderon/Kapono to PHX. Weird.

[C-West]

Rondo and Fernandez would sure look good in Phoenix right now. How are those two guys named "Cash" doing down there?

Richardson will do great in Phoenix. Good trade for them, but boy have they made some blunders in the last few years.

[campybatman]

Interestingly, I was just thinking a few days ago that Shaq made the NBA Finals playing with a dominant scorer in the back court. He'd Anfernee Hardaway in Orlando, Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles and Dwyane Wade in Mimai. However, he didn't have such a luxury in Phoenix. Understandably, Shaquille O'Neal is no longer a first option now with the Suns. But, the lack of a shooting guard that can score and create his own shots put an added emphasis on Nash scoring as well as being the play maker. I was thinking too that the Suns should have had tried to convince Joe Johnson to stay and traded Marion instead. In hindsight, he was eventually traded anyways. I know Johnson had some insecurities about his role in Phoenix; seeing himself as more than the fourth option in their offense. Richardson isn't Johnson but he'll suffice in helping the Suns at becoming one of the best offensive teams in the league. Besides, the window of opportunity for Phoenix is closing fast with the ages and remaining years left on the contracts of Nash and O'Neal. Win now... Even if you don't improve defensively after this trade. Still, like the Warriors, the Suns will have to run and try to run up the scoreboard to win a lot of these games. At least you know that it'll be a track race against an opponent like the Lakers, if you're Phoenix. If you're Boston, you've to see Richardson, yet again.

[campybatman]

Rondo and Fernandez would sure look good in Phoenix right now. How are those two guys named "Cash" doing down there?

Richardson will do great in Phoenix. Good trade for them, but boy have they made some blunders in the last few years.

Phoenix could've had Nate Robinson and Rondo. That is, if they'd held onto those draft picks.

[I love heinsohn]

Any ideas who PHX will try and sign (they need a PG)? Any chance we could deal them Pruitt for Charlotte's 2nd rounder this year?

[Gant]

Who is running Charlotte, Michael Jordan? If it is, he seems to have used up every last bit of his basketball IQ on the court.

This is pathetic for the Bobcats.

[Zin5]

Huge steal for the Suns. They can easily replace the defense they gave up if they tried. I was thinking the other day how Dudley could be a decent replacement here for Posey, but I figured the Bobcats favored him too much if they were going to move Wallace and start him, so I didn't put much thought into it. I guess I was wrong if they were willing to use him as just a throw-in in a trade to get an aging SG and an overpaid forward.

[Willie Beamen]

I don't think Jason Richardson it the missing piece to the Sun prizzle. I also don't think trading him was a big mistake for the Bobcats. Stylistically, Bell and Diaw are guys that fits into Larry Brown systems. They add defense, passing, versatility and guys who play the game the right way. Jason Richardson has been in and out of the line-up for most of the season already. Now Larry Brown can focus on "team" basketball with players he like. Diaw can be a point center/forward type. Bell is a classic Larry Brown type who reminds me of a better shooting Aaron McKie a Larry Brown favorite. I'm sure the Bobcats aren't done dealing. I could see Felton and Wallace being traded before the trade deadline. I might be one of the few people you will find who thinks this deal work out better for the Bobcats then it does for the Suns.

[GuyClinch]

Richardson is much better then both of those guys. This is a steal for Phoenix. I don't get what Jordan was thinking. They only looked okay under Mike D's system..

[Bad-Thoma]

Yeah, Charlotte got robbed. They clear cap space or something? J Rich, while I've never been a fan, can flat out score and isn't that bad of a defender, he'll probably do better along side Nash. J Rich should open up the inside for Amare also.

[OBisHalJordan]

Who is running Charlotte, Michael Jordan? If it is, he seems to have used up every last bit of his basketball IQ on the court.

This is pathetic for the Bobcats.

Kwame Brown. Jordan is trying to displace his reputation as the greatest player ever with the title worst GM ever. He will do it. Just wait to see who he gives away Gerald Wallace for.

[threrf23]

Don't overvaluate Richardson. Charlotte got him without giving up a player from their rotation and the team got worse. I don't think Richardson has the complete game in him, which is needed to contribute to winning basketball, but that's just me.

Charlotte gave up a lottery pick for J-Rich, was injury ravaged all last season, and after not improving in the offseason has yet to fully grasp Larry Brown's schemes thus far (I assume).

The Suns don't need J-Rich to be that much of a 'complete' player. Bell was a good defender but not that great, J-Rich shouldn't be too much of a step down. Now that thats out of the way, the Suns get one of the league's best long range shooters (with a more diverse offensive game) to complement one of the best post duos in the league (Amare/Shaq) and one of the best PGs in the league. It gives them the ability to really excel offensively, and won't necessarily hurt them too much defensively.

I don't understand the trade so easily from Charlotte's perspective, but Raja Bell is an ex-Larry Brown player, Diaw makes a good (but lesser) replacement for Gerald Wallace if he is traded (or makes them a better defensive team without that), they've still got Matt Carroll presumably to step in off the bench and drain treys when needed, and they free up a slight bit of cap space for '10-11. It'll be interesting to see if this is a preclude to a Gerald Wallace deal.

[sully00]

I actually think this is an awful trade for the Suns. They are trying to play half court ball and put an emphasis on defense and trade for Jason Richardson? I am just thinking about how Kerr used to kill Ainge in his Yahoo articles and now he runs his team like he is in last place in a fantasy league. Jason Richardson has never learned how to play without the ball in his hands he became the invisible man with Baron in GS.

The Bobcats were going nowhere they way they were built. This may not be the answer either but at least now the team can start to have an identity and one that you need to compete in the East. Assuming they eventually make the move to Augustin at PG:

Augustin - PG
Bell - SG
Wallace - SF
Diaw - PF
Okafor - C

You are a good defensive team that can pass the ball and have a balanced scoring attack. Bell gives you great man to man defense, excellent 3pt shooting and 12-15 a game without needing to dominate the ball. I think with the mins Diaw could be close to the 13/7/6 he put up two years ago if he gets the mins and touches.

I think this will make them a better team even if they are lacking that superior offensive player. Larry has won this way before and they are team poised to add a star with a lot of young pieces that have some value.

[Gant]

Augustin - PG
Bell - SG
Wallace - SF
Diaw - PF
Okafor - C

That team would have trouble shooting 50% in pregame warm ups.

[return2glory]

The is a horrible trade for Charlotte. Jordan is like Isiah Thomas, a great player that has no business being a GM. How can he trade his best or second best player away without much in return. He should have been trying to build around Richardson, Wallace, and Okofur. I never like his Adam Morrison pick either. And let's not forgot the Kwame Brown pick.

The Suns got a lot better. They now have one of the best starting 5 in the league:

SF: Grant Hill
PF: Amare
C: O'Neil
SG: Richarson
PG: Nash

They also have Barnes, Dudley, and Barbosa.