Warriors send Monta Ellis to Bucks in trade for Andrew Bogut
The Golden State Warriors have agreed in principle to trade guard Monta Ellis and two players to the Milwaukee Bucks for center Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
The Warriors will send forward Ekpe Udoh and injured center Kwame Brown to the Bucks as part of a package for Bogut, one of the NBA's most talented – but also often-injured – centers. The deal will be officially completed later Tuesday night, one executive involved in the trade said.
For the Orlando Magic, who had hoped to acquire Ellis to bolster the supporting cast surrounding All-Star center Dwight Howard, the trade could turn out to be a blow in their hopes of keeping Howard.
[Adrian Wojnarowski: Dwight Howard determined to leave the Magic for the Nets]
Bucks general manager John Hammond was reluctant to move Bogut without the opportunity to get the unhappy Jackson and the $10 million owed him in 2012-13 off his roster. The Bucks had tried to work a three-way deal with Orlando for Jackson, but ultimately the Warriors relented and took back their former forward, who has a checkered history in parts of four seasons with the franchise.
Jackson helped take the Warriors into the second round of the 2007 players when they upset the Dallas Mavericks, but he demanded a trade from the franchise at the start of the 2009-10 season. The Warriors eventually sent him to the Charlotte Bobcats.
Ellis, 26, is averaging 21.9 points and a career-best six assists this season. He and Udoh were in Sacramento preparing for the Warriors' game against the Kings when they were informed of the trade.
The Bucks intend to start Ellis and Brandon Jennings in the backcourt together.
New Warriors coach Mark Jackson had guaranteed Golden State would make the playoffs this season. With Ellis gone and Bogut potentially sidelined for the rest of the season after fracturing his left ankle on Jan. 25, the Warriors will have trouble meeting Mark Jackson's goal. They began Tuesday three games behind the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff seed.
The Warriors will have to give up their first-round pick to Utah this year if they don't finish with one of the first seven selections.
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