NBA Trade Rumors: Steve Blake Traded To Golden State Warriors
By Phil Watson
February 9, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers point guard Steve Blake (5) moves the ball against Chicago Bulls shooting guard Jimmy Butler (21) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Golden State Warriors have traded reserve guards Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for veteran point guard Steve Blake, according to multiple reports.
How fast did the trade develop? About this fast:
Lakers closing in a deal to send Steve Blake to Golden State, according to Times sources.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) February 20, 2014
Steve Blake is leaving Staples Center, saying goodbye to coaches. Deal with Golden State obviously moving quickly.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) February 20, 2014
Golden State expected to send Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks to the Lakers for Blake, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 20, 2014
Steve Blake has been traded to Golden State, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 20, 2014
Golden State's Bazemore and Brooks are on the way to the Lakers as part of the Blake deal, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 20, 2014
Blake gives the Warriors the veteran backup point guard they have been missing since Jarrett Jack departed via free agency last summer. The team tried several alternatives, signing free agent Toney Douglas—who was traded to Miami last month in the deal that brought Brooks and Jordan Crawford to Golden State from Boston, trying Bazemore, using Crawford and also having small forward Andre Iguodala running the offense.
Blake averaged 9.5 points, 7.6 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game in 33 minutes for the Lakers this season, but missed 26 games with an elbow injury. He is shooting 37.8 percent this season, but 39.7 percent from 3-point range.
The 33-year-old Blake will be coming to his seventh NBA team since he was drafted in the second round by the Wizards in 2003 out of Maryland. Blake also spent time with Portland, Milwaukee, Denver and the Clippers before joining the Lakers as a free agent in July 2010.
Blake is in the final year of a four-year, $16 million contract.
Bazemore, an undrafted free agent out of Old Dominion who has been with the Warriors since last season, averaged 2.3 points in 44 games and 6.1 minutes per game for Golden State this season, shooting 37.1 percent overall and just 25.6 percent from 3-point range.
Brooks, meanwhile, heads to his fourth team since July. He was traded in the summer blockbuster that sent Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn, going to the Celtics as part of the return package, and was traded with Crawford to the Warriors last month.
His career has nosedived since he was a second-team All-Rookie selection for the then-New Jersey Nets in 2011-12. He averaged 12.6 points and 29.4 minutes per game as a rookie, but his playing time dipped to 12.5 minutes in the Nets inaugural season in Brooklyn last year, averaging 5.4 points. In Boston, Brooks appeared in just 10 games, averaging 3.1 points and 7.3 minutes, and he was even less relevant as a Warrior, making just seven appearances while averaging 1.9 points and 2.1 minutes.