The New Jersey Nets have dealt 30-year old power forward Troy Murphy and a 2nd round pick in 2012 to the Golden State Warriors for 33-year old center Dan Gadzuric and 23-year old forward Brandan Wright. Murphy played in 18 games (4 starts) for the Nets this season and he averaged 16.0 minutes, 3.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. He only shot 34.2% from the floor, 17.4% from three point range and 52.9% from the free throw line for the Nets, which was pathetic. Dan Gadzuric played in 28 games (4 starts) for the Warriors this season and he averaged 10.6 minutes, 2.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. He has now played in 511 games (158 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 14.9 minutes, 4.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. The Nets might decide to buy out Gadzuric before he even gets into a game for them. Brandan Wright was the prize of this deal for the Nets as he is a former first round pick. Wright played in 21 games (1 start) for the Warriors this season and he averaged 9.3 minutes, 4.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game. In this first three years in the NBA, Wright has played in 98 games (30 starts) in which he has averaged 12.8 minutes, 5.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. Wright has a nice upside and the Nets will give him the P.T. he needs to try to prove himself at the NBA level.

The Nets have sent 30-year old power forward Troy Murphy home until they can deal him. Murphy played in 18 games (4 starts) for the Nets this season and he averaged 16.0 minutes, 3.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. Murphy has been a solid shooter most of his NBA career but this year he is awful only hitting 34.2% of his shots from the floor and 17.4% from the three point line. Murphy has been a huge disappointment as he was supposed to give the Nets a great inside game combining with Brook Lopez. That just never happened.

The Nets will be without starting shooting guard Anthony Morrow for the next 2-3 weeks due to a strained right hamstring. Morrow has played in 25 games (24 starts) for the Nets so far this year and he is averaging 34.1 minutes, 12.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. The Nets are probably going to miss Morrow’s outside shooting as he is hitting 41.1% from three point range so far this year. Jordan Farmar will likely replace Morrow in the starting lineup. Farmar has played in 25 games (2 starts) so far this year for the Nets and he is averaging 25.8 minutes, 10.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.0 steal per game. Farmar is only shooting 34.5% from the three point line and the Nets need him to shoot better than that so they don’t miss Morrow too much.

The Nets have traded 23-year old SF/SG Terrence Williams to the Rockets and 35-year old forward Joe Smith to the Lakers.  The Nets get 26-year old shooting guard Sasha Vujacic from the Lakers along with a 2011 first round draft pick and they get a 2012 first round pick from the Rockets.  That gives the Nets five first round picks in the next two NBA Drafts!  Could they be sweetening the pot for the Nuggets concerning Carmelo Anthony?  Maybe.  Regardless, I like this deal for the Nets as Williams was never going to get along with Avery Johnson anyway.  Williams was the 11th overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft out of Louisville.  He played in 10 games (0 starts) for the Nets this year and he averaged 20.6 minutes, 6.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.  Williams played in 88 games (9 starts) in his two years with the Nets and he averaged 22.4 minutes, 8.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.  Joe Smith was sitting pretty much at the end of the bench for the Nets.  He played in 4 games (3 starts) for the Nets this year and he was averaging 6.3 minutes, 0.5 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.

Sasha Vujacic played in 11 games (0 starts) for the Lakers this year and he was averaging 4.9 minutes, 1.8 points, 0.4 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.  He has played in 420 games (12 starts) in his first seven years in the NBA and he is averaging 14.3 minutes, 4.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.  He has the reputation of being a good shooter even though the numbers don’t bear that out.  He is shooting 39.3% from the floor, 37.2% from the three point line and 87.6% from the free throw line in his career.  Vujacic will get a lot more P.T. with the Nets than he was getting with the Lakers.

The Nets have decided to replace Travis Outlaw at small forward with rookie Damion James. James has played in 16 games (0 starts) for the Nets so far this year and he is averaging 12.3 minutes, 3.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. James has only shot 33.3% from the floor so far this year and only 61.1% from the free throw line. James must be looking good in practice because he hasn’t played well enough to deserve a promotion. Travis Outlaw has played in 22 games (all starts) so far this year for the Nets and he is averaging 32.7 minutes, 10.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. The Nets expected more out of Outlaw and I’m sure he’s going to get another chance to start at some point unless James takes over.

UPDATE:  (12/13/2010) - James starting job at small forward was short lived.  He has underwent surgery on his right foot (which he broke) and he will be out indefinitely.  In his first NBA start he played 23 minutes for the Nets and he finished with 4 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal.

UPDATE II (12/13/2010) - James will be out the next 6-8 weeks due to the surgery he had.