Rumor: Monta Ellis for the Hawks #3

Finally, Jason Richardson gets a break from being in a rumor. The attention has now shifted to one of the young guns, Monta Ellis. The Most Improved Player of the Year has become the subject of a possible trade that would allow the Warriors to move into the top 8 for a shot at one of the top players in the draft. Yahoo Sports has the rumor mill churning, and for this installment, Employee #8 gets his turn in the spotlight.

This news comes on the heels of the big rumor from faetati's diary, Warriors Shopping Ellis! in which Rotoworld drops a major rumor.

Let's just pretend that the Warriors were to trade up and get the #3 pick for Monta. I'm not sure if Yi is the best player at that spot. There's Al Horford who's shown his athleticism and can surely fit in with Don Nelson's system. He'd be the banging power forward that could pair up well with Andris Biedrins. He's got some handle, can rebound, and can run run run. I'd still consider Corey Brewer as well. I think this guy is going to be awesome. He's already an excellent defender and top perimeter defenders are extremely valuable commodities (see Bruce Bowen). Just like Horford he can run the floor well and is athletic enough to play alongside BD, JR, SJ, etc. He's 6'9" with long arms and was the Final Four MVP on a team with Horford, Noah, and Green. I can't say for sure who the best of the 3 will be but I don't think you can go wrong with either of the 3 picks.

If the Warriors move up in the draft, are we sure it's for Yi? That's not a sure bet. Mullin has always played it close to the vest and nobody has ever been sure what he's going to do. Perhaps his and Nellie's reported desire to draft Yi is just a smoke screen to throw other GM's off.

Assuming Mullin swaps Monta in a deal for the #3 pick, who would you draft? Let's put it to a VOTE!

99% of rumors never happen, but 99% of them are fun to talk about!