RUMOR: NBA teams talking Anthony Morrow + Warriors asking price for Andris Biedrins too high

We've already seen the Washington Wizards dump salary by sending Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and DeShawn Stevenson to the Dallas Mavericks:

• Wiz, Mavs Officially Complete Blockbuster Trade Involving Caron Butler, Josh Howard [SB Nation]
• Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood Are Mavs [Mavs Moneyball]
• It's Official: Wizards, Mavericks agree to deal [Bullets Forever]

The current mindset of Cohan's Warriors.

via www.allshadow.com

Are the Warriors next?

Trade winds from SFGate on Warriors 3pt assassin Anthony Morrow:

Former Georgia Tech forward Dennis Scott said Morrow could be a trade commodity. "I've heard teams talking about, 'How can we make a move to go get him?' " said Scott, who is working for NBA TV. "He would be perfect for a playoff team that has a player who gets double-teamed."

Great Scott! Does he know something that we don't know?

via celebrityclothingline.com

3D is definitely on point. Anthony Morrow aka AMMO would be a big coup for a playoff squad with a savvy passing superstar who knows how to beat double teams. I doubt Morrow would net anything of consequence for the Warriors however. He's a proven sharpshooter (the 2008-2009 NBA 3pt % leader), but it's hard to fathom some team giving up that much for a specialist. It would be fun to see AMMO light it up in the 2010 NBA Playoffs, but it wouldn't be fun to see him shipped out.

I have a hard time believing the Warriors are in a rush to get rid of him however. He's popular and in terms of NBA dollars at $1 million next season he's a bargain.

Next from the SFGate article.... Andris Biedrins aka Troy Murphy without a jumpshot:

Andris Biedrins' name is being mentioned even more often in Dallas. He is owed $9 million a season through 2012-13 and has a player option at the same rate for 2013-14, but it's not the price tag that is causing worry. League executives say potential trades could be impossible because the Warriors' asking price is too high given the center's modest production this season.

I'll refer you back to these words in RUMOR: Warriors looking to dump Andris Biedrins' contract to "achieve cost-savings":

Now don't get me wrong. It's perfectly reasonable and understandable that the Warriors would want to trade Andris Biedrins. He's an elite rebounder and by all accounts a good veteran teammate, which counts for a lot on a franchise that gets beat on the glass nightly and recently had to part ways with the fraudulent Captain Jack. But the reality is he's probably leveled off and has been fairly injury prone the past 2 seasons. He is far from being the untradeable big man you build around with his incredibly soft defense (though he has had two welcome HUGE nights protecting the paint this season), ridiculous foul rate, weak screens which he rolls from way too early, lack of any low post moves, and zero commitment to developing a jump shot or free throw shot on par with your average 7th grade 12th man (yes, it's that horrendous- he's shooting 13% on the season).

BUT dumping Biedrins' contract just for the sake of lowering the payroll is not a win by any means for this team on the hardwood in the short or long term. Any expiring contracts the Warriors collect are not going to be used to net the likes of Pau Gasol or Kevin Garnett via trade. Chris Cohans' Warriors just let those go to waste to retain D-Leaguers. Any cap space the Warriors open up for the 2010 offseason and beyond is just going to be used to bid up the package a star player gets from another team (a la Gilbert Arenas and Elton Brand in the summer of 2008) or to overpay someone a la Corey Maggette.

Trading Biedrins is a fine strategy. He is by no means untouchable or a legit franchise cornerstone despite what Chris Mullin and Robert Rowell may have led you to believe 2 summers ago.

Trading Biedrins to simply dump his contract however is a loser move... meaning look for the Warriors to dump Biedrins' contract any day now.

I'll add that it's at least good to hear that the Warriors are putting out signals that they aren't looking to sell low on Biedrins. He's far from a perfect player, but he's not a 5.7 ppg and 7.9 rpg player. Selling low is exactly what this team did with Jason Richardson when they moved him right after an injury filled 16 ppg season and then watching him go off for 21.8 ppg while raining in 40.6% from downtown- and yes, that would have helped that 48 win team MAKE the playoffs in 2008. It was dumb then and selling on Biedrins now will look dumb in a few years if they don't net something beyond an expiring contract.

Don't be surprised if there's some more salary dumps by this Thursday's trading deadline for the Golden State Warriors. Biedrins seems like a good candidate. Is it a signal of Cohan finally selling the Warriors to Larry Ellison?

Thunder can only hope.

Make Some Noise for Cohan to sell!

via www.cantstopthebleeding.com