News / Sports
Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson Sent to Golden State in Eight Player Deal
The Indiana Pacers sent Al Harrington, Stephen Jackson, Sarunas Jasikevicius and Josh Powell to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, Ike Diogu, and Keith McLeod on Wednesday.
With both teams playing below preseason expectations a shakeup was in order.
Pacers president Larry Bird issued a statement saying “"We feel we made a pretty significant trade for the franchise that will be good for both teams.”
The teams will each be inheriting players that failed to fit in to the systems of their respective coaches.
For the Warriors, landing Harrington had been an objective they had been trying to obtain since the forward became a free-agent in the off-season. Harrington’s rebounding should help bolster a Warriors team that relies heavily on center Andris Biedrinsto clean the glass. Harrington will also offer a viable scoring threat for the Warriors who have received most of their points from guards Baron Davis and Monta Ellis.
Moving Jackson out of Indiana may have been more about removing a personality rather than just trading a player. Jackson has had troubles off the court that have led to his falling from favor in the Indiana organization. Jackson is definitely a capable scorer, averaging 14.1 points a game this season, but where he fits in to coach Don Nelson’s plans is unclear.
Both Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy seem to fit in with an Eastern Conference mentality of set plays and controlled offense. While Murphy was injured much of his time in Golden State, Dunleavy could never keep pace with what Nelson wanted. As the number three overall pick in 2002, Dunleavy has yet to live up to expectations.
