MURPHY, ARIZA, COLLISON, & LEE MOVE IN 4-TEAMER
In a four-team trade, the Indiana Pacers acquired Darren Collison and James Posey from the New Orleans Hornets. The New Jersey Nets acquired Troy Murphy from the Indiana Pacers. The Houston Rockets acquired Courtney Lee from the New Jersey Nets. The N
What does it give the Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have been looking for a dependable pass-first young point guard for awhile now and last season Collison proved he can be that and more. Expect him to step in as the team's starter right away and give their offense a big boost all-round. Posey is a quality veteran leader who will do wonders for an Indy clubhouse that had some chemistry issues last season. They also save some money by moving Murphy's big contract.
What does it give the New Orleans Pelicans
The Hornets are somewhat desperate to find ways to keep disgruntled superstar point guard Chris Paul happy, and maybe adding Ariza to the mix will help with that. While he's not a proven scorer, Ariza is an above-average all-round forward who should help make the Hornets better (and should see his dismal shooting improve thanks to regular passes from Paul). The Hornets also acquired Marco Belinelli from Toronto in a related move (for Julian Wright), and he can play some point guard backing up Paul.
What does it give the New Jersey Nets
One of the Nets' biggest problems during last season's dismal campaign was their lack of dependable veteran leadership. Another was their inability to win battles on the boards (finishing with the third-fewest rebounds per game in the league) so Murphy is an ideal fit for both those needs. He's in the final season of his contract, so gives the Nets flexibility after next season, and may be the perfect mentor for top rookie draftee (and eventual star power forward) Derrick Favors. Murphy can also hit the three, which should do wonders for Jersey's offense. He also improves the Nets' size in general, as Terrence Williams can shift from small forward to shooting guard, and Travis Outlaw can move from power forward to small forward). All in all, a great acquisition.
What does it give the Houston Rockets
Essentially swapping Ariza's contract for Lee's is a huge savings for the Rockets, who have salary cap / luxury tax concerns. Houston has several players who can take Ariza's place at small forward, and will be more efficient as shooters (including Lee, Chase Budinger, and Shane Battier) and Lee's contract also has two years fewer on it than Ariza's.
Fantasy impact
