5 Destinations For Stephen Jackson
On Friday, we broke the story that Stephen Jackson wanted out of the Bay. After missing the postseason for two straight years, Captain Jack expressed his desire to leave the Warriors and catch on with a playoff team. He listed five teams he’d want to suit up for in ’09-10: the Mavericks, Cavs, Spurs, Rockets and the Knicks.
I broke down each scenario.
Cleveland:
Why: If there was any way to get Jackson without giving up too much, this would be an ideal destination for him. Jackson is someone who can play three positions and would compliment King James well. As he proved in Indiana, San Antonio and Golden State, Captain Jack in a big time player in the playoffs and would certainly help a team like Cleveland get over the hump.
Why Not: Jackson is locked in under contract until the 2012-’13 season. Although his price tag is not ridiculously high, Cleveland probably wants to keep as much money available as possible to resign LeBron.
Dallas:
Why: Jackson to the Mavs has been the hottest rumor this morning. Mark Cuban has been known to do whatever it takes financially to win – even if it means taking on a big contract. Although he would have to sacrifice shots, Jackson would fit in well with Dallas’ already stacked core of Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion and Josh Howard.
Why Not: Believe it or not, even billionaires like Cuban take hits in a recession, so taking on another big contract might be a stretch. Also, even if Dallas were forced to part with a player like Jason Terry to make this happen, I don’t think that there would be enough shots to go around. Jackson would have to be cool with taking a reduced role.
Houston:
Why: Jackson grew up in Port Arthur, TX, which is not too far away from Houston. With Artest gone and Yao injured, the team could use another veteran presence. He could also help them get buckets – a problem they clearly had in a couple of the playoff games against the Lakers. Jackson and Trevor Ariza would also make a great defensive tandem.
Why Not: If T-Mac stays healthy, it will be very crowded in the team’s shooting guard and small forward department.
San Antonio:
Why: With Richard Jefferson now on the squad, the Spurs are now a championship contender. Adding Jackson would only improve their chances. Remember, Jackson was part of that Spurs team that won the chip six years ago. Poppovich loves hard nosed players like him, so he would blend in nicely.
Why Not: We already know that the Spurs aren’t going to give up Ginobili. And adding the Spurs’ payroll is already way above the cap, so this scenario is unlikely.
New York:
Why: Jackson already proved he can thrive in a run-and-gun offense. Because of his heart and grittiness, he would be a player New Yorkers would love. Plus he is extremely tight with Al Harrington.
Why Not: Al Harrington wants him there. But Al Harrington has no clout, as far as Donnie Walsh is concerned. Adding a long term contract clashes with their 2010 plan. Maybe if Golden State is willing to take Eddy Curry or Jared Jeffries’ contracts, you can scratch this trade scenario off.
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August 31st, 2009 at 12:36 pm
That's whats Up says:
Spurs could use him because they need someone with no conscience once the playoffs start
August 31st, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Al Dogg says:
Has it got to the point where the Rockets just expect McGrady to miss a good chunk of games? If so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them go after Jackson.
August 31st, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Steve A says:
Blazers. They can get rid of a lot of dead weight at the 3 and go for him. He’s a proven playoff veteran performer. He’d bring toughness and a swagger the blazers don’t have.
August 31st, 2009 at 1:01 pm
control says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0NYzfokrXE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0NYzfokrXE
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0NYzfokrXE
Fuck Sjack. Who the fuck cares where he wants to go, the guy is only going to fuck up whatever team that he goes to. The only reason he looks somewhat reasonable in GS is because he is surrounded by fools that jack as much as he does. SJack is just horrible, HORRIBLE.
August 31st, 2009 at 1:04 pm
POPPI GEE says:
I really doubt they go after Jackson when they got T coming off the books and plus they prolly gonna plug in the rook at that spot J.T.
So he prolly won’t end up in Houston, but if he did I ain’t trippin, he got heart and can, as it was written, get buckets.
Hey am I reading this wrong or is this correct, can someone verify this, cause they way this looks, it seems as if T-Mac will get more money than anyone just on this year alone? If so that is crazy?
http://hoopshype.com/salaries.htm
August 31st, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Notorious says:
I think Cleveland needs to take a long, hard look at this and see if they can make it happen. I like the way Cptn Jack turned his career around for the better, and think he would make a nice addition to the Cavs. If they really want to show LeBron they mean business, then they really need to explore this option. Not sure who they would give up, but they need to at least discuss it.
August 31st, 2009 at 1:52 pm
j-dizub says:
Cleveland doesn’t have to retain cap space to re-sign (not resign) LeBron. The Larry Bird Exception allows teams to exceed the cap to re-sign their free agents. Seriously? You should know this.
August 31st, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Detroit Dave says:
At this point of their careers, I would rather have him than Vince Carter.
August 31st, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Nola Rolla says:
The Hornets have a few expirings they could send Oakland’s way (the best being JuJu, who would probably thrive under Nelly and make Byron Scott look like a fool). The Hornets get a solid scorer at the 2 to help contend for a title this year and next year, the Warriors can continue to muddle through this year and re-up next year around the core of Monta, Biedrins, Ranolph, and Curry.
August 31st, 2009 at 2:20 pm
George W Kush Sr says:
San Antonio should go after him.
I’d love to see him in NY. It’s at a point where I don’t give a fuck who we give up as long as it’s not Chandler, that’s how bad our roster is. Atleast we got rid of Richardson.
August 31st, 2009 at 2:43 pm
rangerjohn says:
im tellin ya, roger mason jr and matt bonner for steven jackson works. both have expiring contracts too. spurs would not need either with jackson and the current roster as it is.
mason is gonna run the point and yet he is not a great ball handler and not a driver like parker, he doesnt fit there, and so he is losing minutes right now provided manu stays healthy. bonner lost a ton of minutes with the additions the spurs made imo. let those guys go, your not facing shaq so no hack-a fouls needed at the 4-5 spots.
if this deal where to get done, thats it crown the spurs baring major injury.
August 31st, 2009 at 2:43 pm
cdubb says:
He´s goin to Dallas for J-Ho. If I was Donnie Nelson, I´d pull that one in a minute. So Dallas would have a good perimeter Defender and a nice Shooter with one trade. That´s what they lacked last season. Howard is not exactly a liability on defense, but he´s not a real stopper either. And offensively, you only see him in the first half of games, he disapears in the second half on a regular basis. That would give them a line up containing Kidd, Cap. Jack, Matrix, Dirk and Gooden. Not exactly a Championship Team, but you could go deep into the playoffs with that squad.
August 31st, 2009 at 3:28 pm
doc says:
Cleveland,Clevelamd,Cleveland,Cleveland,Cleveland
August 31st, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Diego says:
Cleveland or San Antonio.
Cleveland could trade some of their newly acquired unimpressive wings. They would get a confident, tough player who also could step in and alleviate friction that is bound to occur sometime next season between LeBron and Shaq.
S.A.: Jackson was a big part of the title the year he got his chip in S.A., and it would be nice to see things go full circle and for him to return there.
Either place, he adds some clutch play and swagger.
August 31st, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Brown says:
Don’t assume the Warriors are just going to give him away for expiring contracts. He’s a valuable piece and the Warriors will get something of value for him. GTFOH with these bullshit trade scenarios. Mason and Bonner? Are you serious?!
August 31st, 2009 at 4:01 pm
UglyBetty says:
Captain Jack and Monta Ellis for S&T Nate, Curry, Mobley, a 2010 second rounder and Chris Hunter.
August 31st, 2009 at 4:06 pm
UglyBetty says:
We don’t need Lebron!! We just need a decent backcourt like Ellis and Jackson, a front court of consisting of Gallo, Chandler, and Harrington. Centers Milicic and Lee. And make a push for Amare or Bosh next year.
There is no way we getting two max contracts next year anyways. Not the way the last few seasons have gone.
August 31st, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Stan says:
The knicks can have Jackson, Maggette and Claxton in exchange for Curry, Jeffries, Chandler, and Hill.
August 31st, 2009 at 5:41 pm
sh!tfaced says:
The Knicks are the best possible and best fit for Capt Jack-Off right now because they have the money and the goods to trade for him.
And even though I hate to say this, his best fit right now is with Cleveland. Mo Williams was a good addition last year but in the Playoffs, he showed that he just isn’t quite ready to handle big-time basketball.
August 31st, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Chris says:
Capt Jack for Boozer works for both teams
August 31st, 2009 at 5:52 pm
dwight coward says:
Blazers is great. Batum and channge (whatever makes the contracts work) – done.
Or…how about Atlanta? SJax + person to be named for Josh Smith.
August 31st, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Yao Fan says:
Stephen Jackson is talented but jacks up shots and often plays out of control. Keep him off my Rockets and Spurs.
September 1st, 2009 at 1:30 am
Peter says:
Captain Jack’s trade demand confirms what the incredibly loyal Warriors fans already know: owner Chris Cohan has absolutely no clue about how to build a winning organization. Fourteen years, one playoff appearance: case closed. He can’t recruit or retain star players. He has a revolving door for head coaches. Now he has a non-basketball guy, stuffed shirt Robert Rowell, running the organization with the clear objective of maximizing short term profit. Jack was probably fed the same BS as the fans at the start of the offseason. We were going to get a legit four to clean the glass and a veteran PG to tutor Monta. With those additions we expected to be playoff contenders. It’s been a disaster. Cohan/Rowell dumped Jamal Crawford’s contract for discount-bin specials Law and Claxton. Cohan/Rowell are trying to convince us that Steph Curry is already an All Star. The kid’s polished, but he’s an under-sized combo guard who spent three years in a small-time program before going seventh in a weak draft. With over-hyped expectations he could easily be the next Mike Dunleavy. Oh, we got our glass cleaner: Devean George. Great. Fourteen years and how many All Star free agents has Cohan brought to the Warriors? Zero. How many have ejected the second they had the chance? Chris Webber, Spree (OK, there were issues with his finger prints on PJ’s neck…), Agent Zero, Baron, and soon… Monta (All-Star to be). Yup, just watch, Monta won’t forget how Cohan/Rowell have threatened to sue him to terminate his contract for the past year. Any surprise that Stat instantaneously refused a trade to Cohan-ville? His first thought, “Damn, if my eye isn’t 100% Cohan’s going to threaten to sue me, too.” Enough rambling. I’m voting with my pocket book: I refuse to attend another Warriors game until Cohan sells.
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:15 pm
glenn m says:
Steve A – i was thinking the same thing. The blazers are loaded on talent and they need to focus on improving a select few while adding more veteran experience to a young roster that’s right on the heels of the lakers. Send Outlaw plus a filler to make the numbers work. Ideally, you throw in Martell Webster and the numbers would matchup perfectly, but it would depend on who the blazers are willing to part with. Batum, Bayless, or Webster would have to be in the discussions to make the deal work and anyone of them, plus outlaw would make a great addition to a young warrior squad looking to rebuild.