The Warriors are close to acquiring point guard Jarrett Jack from the New Orleans Hornets, league sources confirm. The deal is not official, one source warns, but Jack has already Tweeted his goodbye to Hornets fans.
Late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, the reported trade that sent small forward Dorell Wright to Philadelphia morphed into a three-team trade withNew Orleans. Wright still goes to the 76ers. But the Hornets get the rights to Bosnian power forward Edin Bavcic and a $5.5 million trade exception. And the Warriors get one of the most-respected, little-known guards in the league.
“I’m happy to be part of that situation,” Jack, 28, said in a phone interview. “They traded for Andrew (Bogut). They drafted Harrison Barnes. Klay Thompson was the second-best rookie last year. It definitely looks like they’re serious about winning. I think we can make some noise.”
Jack has one year left on his deal, paying him about $5.5 million. The trade it seems leaves Golden State with about $3 million left to spend before reaching luxury tax zone. The Warriors are likely to look for front court help.
In many ways, Jack is exactly what Golden State needs. Last season with New Orleans, Jack averaged 15.6 points with 6.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 34 minutes — all career-highs.
He’s experienced, having started nearly half of his 532 career games over seven seasons with Portland, Indiana, Toronto and New Orleans. He can play both guard positions, so he can feasibly fill holes behind point guard Stephen Curry and shooting guard Klay Thompson.
He’s 6-foot-3, 202 pounds and reputed for being tough and playing hard. Most important, he’ll be able to defend both positions.
“I didn’t know I was a combo guard until I came into this league,” Jack said. “I just play hard. People know my M.O. As long as I’m on the court, I’m cool. I’m going to do whatever it takes.”
