Earl Watson traded in a 3 team deal

[DubOverdose]

KJR - The Nuggets, Sonics and Blazers have completed a three-way trade Thursday morning.

Reggie Evans and Ruben Patterson were sent to Denver, Earl Watson to Seattle and Vitaly Potepenko and Voshon Lenard to Portland. [READ]

no biggie, but everyone knew Watson would be moved.

[Triple T's]

thats probably the biggest spare part trade in recent memory.

[jthig32]

I don't get it. I thought Denver needed a sharpshooter. So they give up their best trade asset AND their only reliable 3 point shooter (Lenard) and get back a spare big man and a slashing small forward???????

[madape]

Reggie Evans is pretty damned good.. that's why.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by madape

Reggie Evans is pretty damned good.. that's why.

Even if I agreed with that statement, where exactley do they need him? Frontcourt is not their weakness, by any stretch, excpet for when everyone is hurt.

Good grief if they bring Nene back next year, and Kmart and Camby are still there, when exactley does Evans play???

All year they've said they needed a 2 guard, so they traded their best trade asset, and their only real 2 guard, for a backup big man, and a small forward that I can only assume they're going to play at the 2. Strange....

[Evilmav2]

Reggie Evan's spectacular rebounding ability is one of the best kept secrets in the league, and it makes sense to me that Kiki would want to aquire him on the cheap, particularly when he will be backing up easily injured, glass-men like Camby, Nene, and Martin.

Additionally, this move really makes even more sense to me, if the Nugs have some kind of KMart deal getting close to going down...

[dirno2000]

Keep in mind that although he was their best asset he's still just Earl Watson. I mean Watson is a nice player but if you recall he was one of the last decent FA's on the market. I don't think you're going to get a big time SG for him.

Patterson's not a shooter but he's a better player then Greg Buckner and like ape, I really like Evans. He may be the best rebounder in the league...I'd rather have him than Najera. With Nene out for the year and Martin and Camby in and out of the lineup Evans was a good pickup.

They can't worry about next year, they're trying to hold on to the 3rd seed.

[orangedays]

Originally Posted by jthig32

Even if I agreed with that statement, where exactley do they need him? Frontcourt is not their weakness, by any stretch, excpet for when everyone is hurt.

Good grief if they bring Nene back next year, and Kmart and Camby are still there, when exactley does Evans play???

All year they've said they needed a 2 guard, so they traded their best trade asset, and their only real 2 guard, for a backup big man, and a small forward that I can only assume they're going to play at the 2. Strange....

This move suggests to me that Nene will not be on board for much longer. While Evans provides no offense, he does bring rebounding and toughness in the paint - really all the Nuggets need in terms of a 3rd string frontcourt player. Nene has far higher trade value and I believe this trade is merely Denver's way of having an insurance policy in place in case any of their existing big men get hurt. I think that Nene (possibly packaged with Patterson in the off-season) will be out the door for that elusive shooter. Of course, this is all assuming that Denver will act somewhat rationally, which is a big assumption. Haha, you could be right and perhaps whatever Isiah's case of the crazies is contagious.

[Jeremiah]

...

[Drbio]

Nene has been long rumored to be trade bait, even before he was injured. I doubt he ever sees the floor again with the Nugs.

[u2sarajevo]

I'm just excited that there is some guy named Earl that plays in the NBA.

Now, if we can get a couple of Norm's and Ed's it will make my life complete...... almost.

[Five-ofan]

There needs to be a rule that if a trade this close to the deadline is gonna take place, at least someone of substance needs to be moved. Could we come up with a spare trade deadline like a week later for things of this ilk to be announced so that people dont think that a big trade may have happened only to get something like this crap?

[MavsFanFinley]

I didn't see this posted but the deal had an update that included the Kings.

Sonics, Nuggets, Trail Blazers, Kings complete nine-player swap

By TIM BOOTH, Associated Press Writer
February 23, 2006

SEATTLE (AP) -- Earl Watson returned to the Seattle SuperSonics and forward Ruben Patterson was dealt from Portland to Denver on Thursday as part of a four-team, nine-player trade.

The Sacramento Kings also were involved in the deal, which was confirmed after approval by the NBA and is subject to all players passing physicals.

Seattle sent forward Reggie Evans to Denver and center Vitaly Potapenko to Portland and received Watson, forward Byron Russell and a second-round pick from the Nuggets. Portland sent Patterson and Charles Smith to the Nuggets and acquired Voshon Lenard and forward Brian Skinner from Sacramento.

Portland then sent Potapenko to the Kings along with Sergei Monia.

The deal of complementary players looking for new opportunities was made shortly before the Thursday afternoon trade deadline. Seattle received the backup point guard it sought, Denver picked up help for its ailing frontcourt, and Portland cleared salary cap room.

"Rarely is it just a simple deal anymore. We spent a lot of time and effort to put a deal together," Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said. "In the end, I think it's a deal that really helps everybody and satisfies what everyone wanted to do."

The trade was expected to be a three-team swap among Seattle, Portland and Denver, but Sacramento joined the mix on Thursday morning.

Watson was considered a trade possibility for months and Seattle was in need of a backup point guard. Shortly before the All-Star break, Seattle coach Bob Hill pleaded to the press for Sonics' management to acquire a backup to Luke Ridnour, who has become worn down at times while playing a career-high 34 minutes per game.

But teams were hesitant to take on Watson's five-year, $29 million deal he signed with the Nuggets before the start of this season.

The Sonics finally relented and agreed to take Watson, and in turn were able to rid themselves of some disgruntled pieces.

Watson was originally a second-round draft pick of the Sonics in 2001 out of UCLA. He played in Memphis for three seasons, averaging 7.7 points and 4.5 assists last year.

In a rotation with Andre Miller and Earl Boykins this season, Watson has played in 46 games and averaged 7.5 points and 3.5 assists.

Patterson gets his wish to leave Portland after scoring a season-high 25 points on Wednesday night against Charlotte. After the game, Patterson sounded like he was headed out the door.

Patterson exclaimed to those gathered outside the Blazers' locker room, "Bang, bang! What a way to go out, hey?"

"Ruben has made it clear that he didn't want to be here," Portland general manager John Nash said. "It was probably not a good fit for Ruben to be here right now."

Patterson was averaging 11.4 points in 45 games for Portland this season. He butted heads with Portland coach Nate McMillan, but George Karl was awaiting Patterson's arrival in Denver.

"He's an attack dog," Karl said. "I am a coach that believes that playing hard is the key to success in the NBA. And intensity and pride of playing hard has to developed on the team. And for some reason this year we lost that. That characteristic."

Evans previously requested a trade after his playing time dwindled under Hill. Evans started 79 games last year for the Sonics and 23 of the first 30 this season for coach Bob Weiss. Since Hill took over on Jan. 3, Evans has played more than 15 minutes only three times and hasn't played in 12 of Seattle's last 25 games, including Wednesday night in Atlanta.

A strong defender and rebounder, Evans should help a Denver frontcourt that's been plagued by injuries to Marcus Camby, Eduardo Najera and Kenyon Martin.

"Rebounding is a fundamental that in the last six weeks we have lost control over," Karl said. "Evans gives us another option."

In his first full season with the Kings, Skinner has played sparingly, averaging 2.3 points and playing 11 minutes. He was acquired last year when Chris Webber was traded from Sacramento to Philadelphia.

Lenard, who is making $3.2 million, recovered from a torn left Achilles' tendon that forced him to miss much of last season, but never meshed well in Karl's fast-paced system. The 11th-year player also upset management when he refused to enter the game in the final seconds of a lopsided loss in November.

Lenard did not play in the Nuggets' last 32 games and Karl wasn't shy about his desire to trade Lenard.

"I know Vo was disappointed that he didn't get an opportunity. I'm hoping he gets that opportunity," Karl said.

AP Sports Writers Melissa Trujillo in Denver and Anne Peterson in Portland, Ore. contributed to this report.