Now that the trade deadline has passed on an unusually active midseason (trade) day, here are a few thoughts:
* I continue to hear that Paul Westphal pushed very, very, very hard for the Kings to trade second-year center DeMarcus Cousins, so hard, in fact, that his persistence helped push him out the door. There was no way the Kings were moving Cousins for Nene, the Denver Nuggets center swapped to the Washington in the deal involving JaVale McGee. George Karl has long coveted Cousins. But McGee? Karl did a phenomenal job coaching Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, not to mention Kenyon Martin, J.R. Smith, Carmelo Anthony, etc. But, man, I can't wait to see George trying to coach McGee.
* Even though he traded him after winning a championship, Gregg Popovich has always appreciated Stephen Jackson's talents. Given Richard Jefferson's ineffectiveness and the Spurs' attempts to win another title before Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker retire to their rocking chairs, this move does not surprise me in the least. Pop has always had huge .... guts.
* If I were the Warriors, I would be more worried about Stephen Curry's recurring foot/ankle problems than anything else.
* Monta Ellis to the Bucks? With Brandon Jennings? Explosive, but too small. Nene to the Wizards? Why, exactly? Andrew Bogut? Nice move, if he can stay healthy - and he's played an 82-game season only once in his career. Ramon Sessions to the Lakers? I like this one. Fisher is a great shooter and tremendous locker room presence, but and it remains to be seen how well Mike Brown incorporates Sessions into the Lakers offense. But if Kobe is receptive to sharing the ball a bit more and the Lakers capitalize on the transition opportunities Sessions provides, this can be a very advantageous move.
* Again, I like the discipline the Kings showed in failing to make a move Thursday. I heard they tried like crazy to dump J.J. Hickson and Donte Greene, looked for someone to take John Salmons' contract, but for a change, didn't take on onerous deals that would have negatively impacted their chances for major offseason maneuverings. (Plus, there will be that high draft pick!). This will be a huge offseason for them, and particularly, for Geoff Petrie. He is overdue for a series of transformative moves.
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