Jackson, Harrington headed to Warriors

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The Indiana Pacers are starting anew.

Again.

Believing their offseason roster overhaul wasn't working and fearing the season could spiral out of control, Pacers officials responded Wednesday by making one of the largest deals in team history.

The Pacers sent Al Harrington, Stephen Jackson, Sarunas Jasikevicius and Josh Powell to Golden State for Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, Ike Diogu and Keith McLeod in a move they say will keep them in contention in the weak Eastern Conference.

Star

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As their team followed most every advance with a retreat, would follow moments of inspiration with others of frustration, Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird both came to an inescapable conclusion: the Pacers' pieces just didn't fit, at least not as well as hoped.
The underlying motivation for the eight-player trade with Golden State Wednesday that netted Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, Ike Diogu and Keith McLeod was to acquire players that better align with both the philosophy and the personality of the Pacers. The deal cost Al Harrington, Stephen Jackson, Sarunas Jasikevicius and Josh Powell, admittedly a high price in terms of individual talent, but was an investment in the team concept.

"We had a tough schedule at the beginning but right now we should be hitting our peak," said Larry Bird, President of Basketball Operations. "I can't say I'm happy with where we're standing.

Pacers

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OAKLAND, Calif. -- Almost every player involved in the Indiana Pacers' eight-man trade with the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday is likely to welcome the change of scenery.

The Pacers traded Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson to Golden State for forwards Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy in a large, bold deal to shake up two struggling teams.

The Pacers also sent guard Sarunas Jasikevicius and forward Josh Powell to the Warriors, who gave up forward Ike Diogu and guard Keith McLeod. According to Chris Mullin, the Warriors' vice president and a former player for both teams, the wholesale shuffle will benefit everyone involved.

ESPN

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Golden State, already the league's third-highest scoring offense, became more punchless on defense with the additions of scorers Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson. The Warriors have allowed the NBA's most points per game this season.

Harrington's marginal fantasy value will remain the same, replacing traded Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy at forward. He'll likely guard the other team's power forwards.

Foxsports

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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - The Indiana Pacers traded Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday for forwards Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy as part of an eight-player deal designed to shake up two struggling National Basketball Association teams.

The Pacers also sent Lithuanian guard Sarunas Jasikevicius and forward Josh Powell to the Warriors, who gave up forward Ike Diogu and guard Keith McLeod.

"We feel we made a pretty significant trade for the franchise that will be good for both teams," Pacers president Larry Bird said in a statement. "We feel the players we got will make a significant difference in the franchise."

Foxsports

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Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - The Pacers and Warriors completed an eight-player trade Wednesday with Indiana sending Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington, Sarunas Jasikevicius and Josh Powell to Golden State in exchange for Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Ike Diogu and Keith McLeod.

Harrington and Jackson were the second and third leading scorers, respectively, for the Pacers this season, trailing only All-Star Jermaine O'Neal. Harrington, a forward/center, averaged 15.9 points and 6.3 rebounds in 36 games for Indiana, while Jackson, a guard/forward, tallied 14.1 points in 37 games.

The two will now be teamed with point guard Baron Davis, who leads the Warriors with 20.9 points and 8.6 assists this season.

KTLK AM 1150

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MIAMI (AP) - Jermaine O'Neal calls Al Harrington his "little brother," which explains why he spent some time last summer lobbying the Indiana Pacers to reunite them.

Off the court, they were tight.
On the court, though, it simply didn't work - much to O'Neal's dismay.

So the Pacers are about to deal with a massive roster shake-up, one that'll begin in earnest Friday when four new faces - Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, Ike Diogu and Keith McLeod - are set to arrive from Golden State in exchange for Stephen Jackson, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Josh Powell and Harrington, all of whom were swapped in a deal on Wednesday.

Fox Sports

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After watching his hand-picked core of players fail to bring the Warriors any closer to ending their playoff-less streak of 12 seasons, Golden State executive vice president Chris Mullin acknowledged that change was needed in a major way Wednesday morning, shipping out forwards Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, Ike Diogu and guard Keith McLeod to the Indiana Pacers in a dramatic overhaul of his roster.

In return, the Warriors received forward Al Harrington, whom Golden State had diligently pursued over the summer, guard/forward Stephen Jackson, whose mercurial talent has been counterbalanced by his off-the-floor problems, veteran point guard Sarunas Jasikevicius and young big man Josh Powell.

Sportsline

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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- The Indiana Pacers exchanged problems with the Golden State Warriors, and the eight-man trade seems likely to help both sides -- though it might create a few new dilemmas for both clubs as well.

The Pacers traded Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson to Golden State on Wednesday for forwards Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy in a large, bold deal to shake up two struggling teams.

The Pacers also sent guard Sarunas Jasikevicius and forward Josh Powell to the Warriors, who also gave up forward Ike Diogu and guard Keith McLeod. Though the trade involved no superstars, it removed several potential reasons that both clubs have hovered around .500 for much of the year.

Yahoo

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LOS ANGELES - After watching his hand-picked core of players fail to bring the Warriors any closer to ending their playoff-less streak of 12 seasons, Golden State executive vice president Chris Mullin acknowledged that change was needed in a major way Wednesday morning, shipping out forwards Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, Ike Diogu and guard Keith McLeod to the Indiana Pacers in a dramatic overhaul of his roster.

In return, the Warriors received forward Al Harrington, whom Golden State had diligently pursued over the summer, guard/forward Stephen Jackson, whose mercurial talent has been counterbalanced by his off-the-floor problems, veteran point guard Sarunas Jasikevicius and young big man Josh Powell.

Contra Costa Times

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UH OH. Warriors coach Don Nelson, the noted offensive genius, has some weapons to work with now. Finally.

It's like giving James Bond fancy gadgets.

Head basketball honcho Chris Mullin, who was under pressure to provide a boost to the Warriors offense, upgraded the roster for Nelson, shipping forwards Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy and Ike Diogu -- all players who failed to flourish under Nelson -- and guard Keith McLeod to the Indiana Pacers for forward Al Harrington, swingman Stephen Jackson, point guard Sarunas Jasikevicius and forward Josh Powell.

Contra Costa Times

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WARRIORS EXECUTIVE vice president Chris Mullin had two basic options with the NBA's Feb. 22 trade deadline approaching and his team looking up at .500.

No. 1: Stand pat, all but guarantee a 13th straight playoff-less season for the Warriors and, quite possibly, commit career suicide in Year 3 of his watch.

No. 2: Blow up his athletically challenged, dysfunctional roster, restock it with quicker, stronger players better suited to coach Don Nelson's system and give the Warriors a legitimate chance to make a playoff run.

Mullin made the right

Contra Costa Times

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Chris Mullin, the Warriors executive vice president of basketball operations, pulled off a blockbuster eight-player trade, drastically altering his team's roster and getting a player he coveted this summer.

In a team release Wednesday, Mullin announced that the Warriors sent forwards Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy to the Indiana Pacers for forward Al Harrington and swingman Stephen Jackson. The Warriors also sent second-year forward Ike Diogu and reserve guard Keith McLeod to Indiana for point guard Sarunas Jasikevicius and forward Josh Powell.

Contra Costa Times

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01-18) 04:00 PST Los Angeles -- The Warriors had two big-money players their coach had little use for. The Pacers had a guard they were looking to move and a forward who wasn't meshing as expected.

So on Wednesday, they solved each other's problems.

In what might best be described as a swap of players who didn't fit, Golden State landed coveted forward Al Harrington and swingman Stephen Jackson for struggling forwards Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy in an eight-player swap with Indiana.

Chronicle

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It was a successful start in at least one respect for Mike Dunleavy on Saturday.


He didn't get booed once.
One of three players making their debut for the Indiana Pacers against New York at Conseco Fieldhouse, Dunleavy showed flashes of the skill set that made him attractive to the Pacers' front office.

Star