NBA Trade Rumor: Andrei Kirilenko to the Warriors
If the Warriors were to create a wish list, there would probably be room for only one thing above acquiring a real point guard and perhaps a low-post scorer. There’s no doubt that the top wish would read, “Get rid of Corey ‘Bad Porn’ Maggette.” And there’s a chance that Christmas comes early this year. There’s a rumor that Maggette could be sent to Utah for Andrei Kirilenko.
From the Salt Lake Tribune…
Maggette signed a six-year, $42 million offer sheet with the Jazz as a restricted free agent in 2003, which the L.A. Clippers opted to match. The Jazz reportedly expressed interest in Maggette as a free agent again last summer.
Speaking generally, Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor said he would not be opposed to taking on a long-term salary commitment in a potential trade if it was the best basketball decision.
From the Contra Costa Times…
Chatter is circling about the Warriors’ possible interest in acquiring Utah forward Andrei Kirilenko. Speculation abounds about what the Warriors will do with their lottery pick next month — use it or trade it.
Conjecture is everywhere about what the Warriors need to acquire this summer, whether it’s a point guard, veteran help off the bench or a stud low-post scorer.
Though there might need to be some other pieces involved in this deal in order to make the dollars work, it could happen within this general framework. Maggette could give Utah a guy who can create for himself, thereby allowing Deron Williams to get a couple more possessions each game in which he’s playing off-ball. (We saw him succeed in that role during the Olympics when he was catching-and-shooting a fair amount.) And Kirilenko would allow the Warriors to focus their offense in one way or another. Instead of having the guy who brings the ball down the court go one-on-one, AK-47 works without the ball, thus giving even greater control to Stephen Jackson/Monta Ellis. (We could say Jamal Crawford too, but it seems as though Don Nelson would rather give up a vital organ than bring him back.)
May 6th, 2009 at 10:29 am
QQ says:
Not gonna happen. None of this ‘trade rumors’ ever fucking happened.
May 6th, 2009 at 10:33 am
springz says:
Why would Utah do this?
May 6th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Russ says:
jerry sloan taking on ‘bad porn’? in utah? HA!
May 6th, 2009 at 10:42 am
skk says:
makes sense for utah because they’ve gone a bit soft, and they need a tough guy who relishes contact. kirilenko is certainly overpaid, but he is the kind of versatile forward don nelson really likes
May 6th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Jei says:
the Bad Porn nick is a ‘motherf*cking’ nickname.
May 6th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Sanpitch says:
i think there is some weight to this rumor. don nelson has liked ak for a while. the jazz are looking to dump his salary. and the jazz unfortunately like (or liked at one point) bad porn.
the talk in utah is let boozer walk and find anyone willing to take ak’s contract. let me remind you that ak made more than lebron this season!
like i said this trade has some weight but as a jazz fan don’t do it for bad porn please!!!
May 6th, 2009 at 11:28 am
len-e says:
kirilenko and biedrins on one team wow
May 6th, 2009 at 11:32 am
karizmatic says:
I don’t think this trade really works out for either team. It could potentially give Utah a wing scorer they need but it also makes their defense even worse. AK in Golden State would probably turn into another version of Andres Biedrins. I don’t see the trade benefitting either team much.
May 6th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
joe says:
AK47 back at PF, and Beidrins would be crazy. 15+ blocked shots per game
May 6th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
dmitry of jersey says:
AK 47 must be praying morning night and before and after lunch for this to happen. his career is going to waste playing in Utah.
May 6th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
RonNation says:
ak doesn’t block shots any more
May 6th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
pig says:
AK needs a fresh start..he was playing great in utah before his rift with Sloan
May 6th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
doc says:
I like this for Utah.They get rid of a stone cold pussy known to actually break down and cry when he dont get the ball,to Bad Porn who could do serious work with a coach like Sloan.Do it.
May 6th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Coop says:
Doc you’re an idiot; Sloan would stab Maggette before letting him on the court. He is the antithesis of a Sloan player. You’ll be gunning for a Maggette/Ginobili swap next.
May 6th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Chris says:
Who cares why Utah would do it. This is a good move for the Warriors. Yes its just a rumor, but so was Kevin Garnett to Boston at one point.
Maggette would be a good player off the bench for Utah, or starter. You folks act like Maggette is garbage, he just was not meant for our system. He’s no Kobe, but he’s not Ricky Davis either.
May 6th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
matt says:
it would be maggette/crawford for ak-47
May 7th, 2009 at 2:08 am
Borgs says:
Ummm.. you’re the idiot, Coop. The article even says the Jazz signed Maggette to an offer sheet several seasons back. Unless his twenty-something years as head coach of Utah doesn’t include the time his GM attempted to procure Maggette, I’d say Jerry approved of the player. Furthermore, if Corey is the antithesis of a Sloan guy, then how would you describe the AK47-Sloan dynamic?
And, RonNation, Kirilenko blocks plenty of shots for a swingman, which is where he has been wrongly deployed these past few largely indifferent seasons. Played reasonable minutes back near the basket as a help defender he’d go back to 2.5+ per game.
If Boozer’s going to be the Jazz’s PF, Andrei must go. The Nelson Warriors and he are a zany match made in heaven.
May 7th, 2009 at 7:56 am
RANDO says:
Trade works for both sides. Maggette wouldn’t be so much of a jacker in a more controlled offense and I think would thrive in Utah. Also I think Kirilenko would be a great fit in GS as more of a freelance player where all of his skills would come to light. Definately wouldn’t solve the issues in GS but it would be a start. Also I played against Deron in AAU ball when he didn’t have to handle the ball every possesion and dude is just as deadly. I still can’t believe Bracey Wright was a more heralded recruit coming out of HS…
May 10th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
captaincharisma says:
Having watched all of the jazz’ games this season. I am looking forward for this to happen. The Jazz lack a scorer and a defensive big. This will solve one of the problems. Ak has become whiney, takes too many shots, and frankly just not the same player he was 5 years ago. People talk about how great he is on defense. Having watched him for years. He takes a lot of risks, and wants a block or steal on every play, giving up baskets when he fails. Which is a lot. He’s really not a great shot blocker anymore. Maybe a change is what he needs. But this trade would definately help the Jazz.
May 11th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Dave says:
I’ve got mixed feelings about AK for Maggette. AK is one of the few players who can change the outcome of the game without scoring more than 10 points…..but that only happens about one of 20 games.
The problem I see with Maggette is that as soon as he starts freelancing with the ball Sloan will likely have a coronary right there on the bench and I seriously doubt CM will react in a positive way.
I do have to say that it would be great to dump AK’s contract, he’s obviously not happy in Utah, but I don’t think it will help the Jazz on the court very much.
May 13th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Homer says:
In my opinion, if this trade were to happen it would be a win-win-win. AK could go back to being the same player he was 3 years ago before he stopped caring. I really think that he would improve dramatically on team like Golden State, because he is better in an uptempo offense. Magette could provide the Jazz a little toughness and scoring. And I don’t have to have to listen to AK whine about not getting enough shots, even though every time he shoots it you are like WTH was that? WIN-WIN-WIN. Make it happen Kevin OConnor (Or do we have to bring in Danny Ainge to make it happen?).
May 14th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Bryant says:
With AK47 out of Utah, he could really put up the numbers he used to, namely 16 pts, 8 reb, 3 blk, 2 stl on average. Remember people, he used to do this a while back when he played PF and played around the basket a lot, just look at his numbers. That was when he was with Harpring and Okur and D-will had just come in, Boozer not in Utah yet. Now with emphasis on Okur, Boozer, D-will on offense, he’s not going to put up a lot of points, but is remarkably efficient considering the limited touches he gets. With him playing SF, he isn’t going to get as many blocks as if he were to play PF. If Maggette goes to Utah, the Jazz will be even worse defensively once they lose their best defensive player, AK47, of course. If they lose Ak47, they need to pick up a good defender as well (although no one can really replace AK, as most good defenders excel at either blocks or steals, but rarely both like Ak does). With that said, This favors the Warriors tremendously, but is not too good for the Jazz unless they pick up another defender.
May 14th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Bryant says:
O yeah, and AK47 didn’t stop caring, he just has a different role now that doesn’t allow his skills to flourish with the new system Sloan has with emphasis on other players. This also goes in part to the “whining” which really was simply frustration due to his changing role, different than his role from 03-06 when he put up stat sheet filling numbers like no one I’ve ever seen in recent history. BTW I’ve been a Jazz fan and NBA fan for nearly 10 years now.