In Friday’s entry, we explored the possibility that the new ownership of the Warriors might want to trade Monta Ellis. We then looked at the kind of teams that would be most interested in acquiring Ellis and the kind of pieces the Warriors would want back in a trade.

Remember, this isn’t so much a debate about whether Ellis should be traded. We don’t know how the new owners feel, but if they want to part with Ellis, there isn’t a lot Warriors fans can do about other than hope they get the best possible deal for their star shooting guard. Some also took exception to what I set as the parameters for a deal involving Ellis, balking at the thought of taking back young talent and expiring contracts. I understand the sentiment, but again, this is hypothetical and I believe that if the new owners want to trade Ellis, it’s not likely to be for large contracts coming back unless those contracts are attached to superstar players. I think Joe Lacob and Peter Guber will want to have roster flexibility going forward and the best way to achieve that is to acquire young, inexpensive talent and expiring contracts.

Again, this is hypothetical. It’s just something fun to read about and discuss during the slow part of the NBA offseason. Lacob and Guber might love Ellis and have no interest in trading him. But if they did, I think the following are the kind of deals they would consider. I still start with what seems to be the fans’ favorite. It doesn’t involve a team on my original list and it doesn’t agree with the parameters of possible deals set forth in the previous article. But it’s a popular option with Warriors fans and I think if it was on the table, Lacob and Guber would be pretty crazy not to consider it.

Trade partner: Philadelphia 76ers
To 76ers: Monta Ellis
To Warriors: Andre Iguodala
See it on the trade machine
Would it happen? Unlikely as a straight-up trade. It doesn’t seem like Iguodala is on the trade block right now. Doug Collins, the 76ers new coach, has spoken about his interest in coaching the small forward and building his defensive game plan around Iguodala. If the Warriors were willing to take on Elton Brand’s contract (three years, $51 million remaining) and expand the deal to Ellis and the expiring contracts of Vladimir Radmanovic and Dan Gadzuric for Brand and Iguodala, the 76ers would probably be tempted. That particular trade couldn’t happen until August 22 because of Gadzuric. I don’t know if the Warriors’ new owners would be interested in taking on Brand’s contract, though. It’s a killer.

On to the rest:

Trade partner: Atlanta Hawks
To Hawks: Monta Ellis, Brandan Wright, Vladimir Radmanovic
To Warriors: Josh Smith, Marvin Williams
See it on the trade machine
Would it happen? Maybe. At first glance, it seems very lopsided for the Warriors. But, the Hawks are reportedly exploring trade ideas for Smith. If the Warriors were willing to take on Marvin Williams (four years, $30 million remaining on his deal) and offer expiring contracts and a cheap young player like Wright, the Hawks might consider it. I still see this trade as unlikely. I think the Hawks are giving up too much, but Smith would be a nice player to pursue in an Ellis trade and I think the Hawks would be interested in pairing Ellis with Joe Johnson. So, like I said before, maybe.

Trade partner: Bobcats
To Bobcats: Monta Ellis
To Warriors: Boris Diaw, D.J. Augustin
See in on the trade machine
Would it happen? I think this is a good trade for both teams. Diaw and Augustin are both in the last year of their contracts, and they are both talented players who could be long-term fits with the Warriors. Don’t discount Diaw. He is very underrated, a talented player who can play small forward and power forward equally well. He’s a strong defensive player and is a good shooter and passer. Augustin slumped his second season after a strong rookie year, but the Warriors could give him some minutes backing up Stephen Curry (it would be nice if Curry wasn’t forced to play 40+ minutes per game) and see how he does. He could be a long-term answer at backup point guard for the team.

Trade partner: L.A. Lakers
To Lakers: Monta Ellis
To Warriors: Andrew Bynum
See it on the trade machine
Would it happen? I don’t think the Lakers do this. There aren’t any other pieces on the Lakers’ roster that would work financially or be of interest to the Warriors, though. The only way I could see this happening is if the Lakers feel that Ellis helps them going forward more than Bynum. Bynum has been injury prone and the two-time defending champions have been able to win without him. The Lakers could look as Ellis as a perfect replacement for Derek Fisher to start next to Kobe Bryant. So, I suppose it’s possible, but I just don’t see how the Lakers give up on a very talented young center at this point, even if he is injury prone.

Trade partner: Heat
Somebody pointed out that no trade with the Heat could even take place right now, which is true. Since the Heat have constructed their entire roster this offseason (except for Mario Chalmers), none of their players are available for trade. So, scratch the Heat off the list for now.

Trade partner: Trail Blazers
To Trail Blazers: Monta Ellis
To Warriors: Rudy Fernandez, Jerryd Bayless, Joel Pryzbilla
See it on the trade machine
Would it happen? I saw some put up Greg Oden as the centerpiece of a possible Portland trade, but I guarantee you the Blazers aren’t willing to give up Oden unless it’s bringing back Chris Paul. So, the trade above is probably the most realistic trade involving the Trail Blazers. The Warriors get a big expiring contract in Pryzbilla (about $7 million) and some enticing young talent. Slide Fernandez into the shooting guard slot and give Bayless 25-30 minutes backing up both guard positions. Both players have inexpensive deals going forward. Fernandez is owed between $1.5 and $2 million for the next two seasons and Bayless has three years left on his rookie contract.

Trade partner: Kings
To Kings: Monta Ellis, Brandan Wright
To Warriors: DeMarcus Cousins, Samuel Dalembert
See it on the trade checker
Would it happen? Would the Kings give up Cousins this soon after drafting him? I don’t know. But considering the team has viable options at power forward and center already (Carl Landry, Jason Thompson), getting a player like Ellis to pair with Tyreke Evans might be tempting. The Warriors would get Cousins, arguably the most talented player from the draft (don’t forget about that baggage, though) and a huge expiring contract in Dalembert ($13.5 million). The trade couldn’t happen until August 17, but it would be interesting to see what the Kings would say.

Let me know what you think? Do you like any of these trade ideas? If the Warriors were going to trade Ellis, would any of the trades above make you feel better?