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Multiple sources say that, apparently at Don Nelson’s urging, the Warriors have been calling teams and offering to trade Ellis in recent days. It is likely that their efforts will only intensify, barring some 11th-hour peace treaty. Ellis has four years and $44M owed to him after this season, but several sources say that he will be less difficult to trade than Stephen Jackson was. And it seems inevitable that Ellis will be traded, presuming that Nelson remains in power, and every source I’ve talked to believes that Nelson will remain in power. San Jose Mercury News
Multiple NBA sources have confirmed that Monta Ellis’ status with the Warriors could be determined Thursday, when his agent is scheduled to meet with team management in Oakland. San Jose Mercury News
Several sources indicate that Ellis’ agent, Jeff Fried, already has discussed the possibility of the Warrriors giving Fried and Ellis permission to talk to other teams to quicken the pace of trade talks. The Thursday meeting could formalize those general discussions. One source said that Fried tacitly has been given the go-ahead to try to come up with a trade, but that team president Robert Rowell may not yet have officially signed off on it. (Al Harrington was given similar permission last year. It’s believed Stephen Jackson received tacit approval earlier this year.) Rowell and GM Larry Riley apparently will represent Warriors management in this meeting. San Jose Mercury News
Tim Kawakami: Multiple sources say that Warriors are actively trying to trade Monta Ellis. Ellis' camp could get permission to try to make a deal. Twitter.com
Although the dysfunction level of the Golden State Warriors no doubt declined with Monday's trade of disgruntled veteran Stephen Jackson, sources close to the team say it certainly did not disappear. Leading scorer Monta Ellis now replaces Jackson as the most irritated Warrior, and according to league sources, Ellis' agent, Jeff Fried, will meet with Golden State management Thursday to discuss his future (or lack thereof) with the club. ESPN.com
Fried could not be reached for comment, and it's not clear whether he will ask the Warriors to trade his client. But sources said Ellis has been telling teammates on a regular basis that he wants out of Golden State, and he believes general manager Larry Riley has spoken to several teams about potential trades involving him. ESPN.com
Riley said there is no situation, regarding Ellis or any other player, that approaches the seriousness of the Jackson controversy, but he did not deny that the Warriors may pursue other trades. "I don't have anything going right now in regards to trading people," Riley said in a telephone conversation Tuesday afternoon. "I will be working to improve our team throughout the rest of this year, and that process will be started quickly. I felt we had to get the first thing out of the way first. Are we in a position to not do anything? We're 3-6. I can't afford not to be talking to people. We're 3-6 and we need to continue to evaluate our roster." ESPN.com
Riley said one of the benefits of having Bell on the roster is that he can bring some veteran experience and leadership to the team, though he doesn't have the relationship with the youngsters that Jackson had. The Warriors would like for Ellis to fill that void, but he said he isn't planning to increase his responsibility. "I'm not going to put any more on my back," Ellis said. "I'm not going to do more. Somebody else is going to have to step up and take on the role that Jack had and be that player." Contra Costa Times
Two sources say that Nelson embarrassed Ellis when Ellis tried to step into a leadership role in the aftermath of the 28-point home loss to the Clippers on Nov. 6. The sources describe the scene in the post-game locker room: Ellis, as a co-captain, began loudly addressing to his teammates, telling them that this performance could not be tolerated. But then Nelson came into the room and told Ellis to be quiet. Speaking to reporters a few minutes later, Ellis was near-tears. A snippet… -Q: Your coach said he was embarrassed by this game. Are you embarrassed? -ELLIS: We all should be embarrassed. This is a terrible game, terrible performance. We looked like we didn’t know what we were doing out there. We looked like a high school team. We didn’t do nothing. San Jose Mercury News
The Clippers-game episode now sheds greater light on Ellis’ cryptic comments during his public verbal altercation with Nelson after a practice in New York last week. First, in front of reporters, Ellis accused Nelson of blaming him for everything. When Nelson denied it and then walked away, waving his hands, Ellis said: “See, that’s why I won’t do it. I just won’t do it.” What did that mean? My read: Ellis was saying that whenever he tries to lead the team, it’s rendered meaningless because the coach and management disrupt everything. San Jose Mercury News