Sixers make deal with Hornets
UPDATED:
Sixers make deal with Hornets
UPDATED:
The Sixers have traded guard Willie Green and forward Jason Smith to the New Orleans Hornets for 6-9 Darius Songaila and 6-10 Craig Brackins, a league source said. (The Sixers have now confirmed the trade.)
“We made the move for these two players to add additional depth to our front court and to add out-court shooting, which was an area that we felt needed improving,” Sixers president Rod Thorn said. “Songaila is a hard-working, veteran forward who will give us another option up front and Brackins is a rookie that we feel has a chance to develop into a very productive player at this level.
“On behalf of the Sixers, I want to thank Willie Green and Jason Smith for their contributions and professionalism during their time with us.”
Presumably, this is a move to allow the Hornets to get rid of some contracts, even if Brackins only has a low-level rookie deal. Smith is in the final year of his deal and Green is in the final year of his.
Songaila, 32, entering his eighth pro season, averaged 7.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 19 minutes per game in 75 appearances for the Hornets last season. He also has played for Sacramento, Washington and Chicago in his career. He is considered a good shooter, with a career field goal percentage of .499. His contract also expires at the end of the season.
Brackins, 22, was drafted 21st overall by Oklahoma City out of Iowa State and then traded on draft day to New Orleans in the Cole Aldrich deal. He has now been traded a second time before even playing a game. Brackins struggled at times with the Hornets summer league in Las Vegas and is only 230 pounds, meaning he will need to get stronger.
Green averaged 8.7 points and 2.1 assists last season in 73 games. He played all seven of his NBA seasons with the Sixers, averaging 9.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 21.8 minutes in 422 games played with 211 starts.
Smith posted 3.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 57 games. He also spent his entire career with the Sixers to this point, averaging 4.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 132 games played with three starts.
Doug Collins is expected to meet with the media this afternoon.
I think I'm Big Meech... Larry Hoover— CrayzeeGuy- Kate beat you to this one.— 76er
- Minor move but I like getting a career 50% shooter and a first round prospect for guys I didn't expect to be in the rotation.— Aaron B
- Doug Collins continues remaking or cleaning up this roster. His time as an analyst viewing players has served him well. It is also good to see that he either has a better clue or more power to do this than his predecessors. Surely, Stefanski had little clue in evaluating personnel.— dross
Seriously? This is headlining sports? Go Phillies.— Mr. Underhill- Thank god Willie Green is gone.— B in DC
- Garbage in and garbage out...ladies and gentlemen your Philadelphia 76ers.— booman55
crayzeeguy is blowin money fast
Good move coach. You have a solid rookie to mold and added good veteran shooting depth. I hope you can get them all on the court. Cant wait to see what you come up with here. Good luck.- they'll still suck— spittooncj
I would have accepted used basketballs & chewed gum for those 2 stiffs but this is much more suffice.- No, they are not the 70-sucksers. They are the 76'ers and they will be much improved— WantToKnow
- This helps NO ... Songalia (250Lb russian who can't block a shot) wasn't he here last year??? Brackens who knows ... seems small for his frame. Gives young backcourt more mins I suppose especially if Iggy is kept at forward. Question is wht give up expiring contracts that lead to flexibility?— batmann1
- This trade is awful. Songalia is everyone's worst generalization about a soft Euro-style player without any particular skill to make him effective in any area of the professional basketball court. Brackins is a goon! At least Willie had a jumper and played some D, could come in off the bench and make a few shots. Smith was just killed by Eddie Jordan. He could have trended up, but he got stuffed by a truly incompetent coach. Still, he's got way more potential than Brackins!— auntesther
- What's the Sixers season ticket sales office phone number??— Rocco Balboa
- thx willie..you are classy guy..smith, not sure if you have a pulse..you play hard, but thats it..collins and fagan..awful..you been nutted— nut-man
- thx willie..you are classy guy..smith, not sure if you have a pulse..you play hard, but thats it..collins and fagan..awful..you been nutted— nut-man
- Collins wants these players so its a good trade . Collins will have this team @ .500 or better— kdubs215
- Why comment if you know nothing about the subject Booman .. Idiot— kdubs215
we now have a lithuaian and an argentine player! we're on our way to being the raptors, or maybe even the spurs if we're lucky!— Leegles- @crayzeeguy.....we traded Willie Green. Hallelujah!!!— XmarksTheSpot
- How can this be a bad move? Anything taken off this current roster is an improvement.— smfree31
- I thought Jason Smith was going to be a player until he lost a whole year of development time and then got stiffed by Eddie Jordan. Willie Green is the very definition of the word "streaky". It means more playing time for Lou Williams and Evan Turner and maybe one of the guys they got back will help the front court. Or provide more ammunition in a bigger trade to come. We'll see.— Rick Wise Guy
- addition by subtraction. not monumental moves but changing the culture
They should just give the Nuggets any three current Sixer players because they would still get the better end of the deal no matter who went out.- They should just give the Nuggets any three current Sixer players because they would still get the better end of the deal no matter who went out.
- Combocancer will not be happy; he loved Jason Smith's game.— chuckw
- i like getting brackins; he wouldve been a lottery pick had he played for a big time school in college. his versatility could make him a very nice player since he can hit the 3 and post you up. if he continues to get stronger than i think he has potential to start. the only downside is that he's already 22 years old.— NovaNation1024
@Chuck LOL combo's man is gone. I have no idea what this team is anymore. They were a defensive team that would other teams out of the gym. Now they are mismatched pieces. J Smith was a decent big man that could shoot. They never used him in that capacity. This team needs direction.- Personally I like what I saw of Brackins and you're not giving up much exchanging two expiring contracts and giving up on Jason Smith upside for Brackins's upside plus he has a more team options left. Now all they have to do is get rid of "Stiffanski" and "Thorn in my side" and I'll be happy.— allrightknight
- if this move is indicative of the future under Thorn we are in for more wallowing in the muck. when I can look at Green and Smith leaving, read the bios of the men we received in return, and come to the conclusion that we've been had in a trade then the trade is a sorry one indeed considering how little was expected from Willie and Jason this year. Of the 4 men involved Smith is the one most likely to make a future splash in the league if any of them do at all.— barrywil
- Be still my heart !!!!!!!!!— jeromie
willie could defend 3 positions. he rebounded, scored, handled. KILLS BOSTON!! eats ray allens lunch. on both ends. EVERYTIME!! beat boston by himself last year until they took the ball out of his hands and gave it to iguodala in the 4th. 14pts in like 9 min. smith was a victim of selfish perimeter teammates lou, iguodala who NEVER gave him the ball NEVER!! they used used him to clean up their GARBAGE!! Smith sprained his ankle trying to rebound some trash bull$hit garbage iguodala threw up in smiths best game v the raptors.. quick shots out of control basketball smith wanted the ball so badly he looked wild crashing the boards trying to get a touch and feel involved in the game... and after all of that hustling and SUCCESSFULLY grabbing the o board what would he do???... give it right back to them.. Smith will kill his own career if he does not become more selfish.. I hate to see both go but both will benefit playing with paul I PROMISE YOU THAT paul will bring it out of smith AND WILLIE.. we will regret this move and finally realize its the superstars job to make the role players better.. Turner and hawes NEVER had a chance v willie and smith. especially turner. willie would have taken turners spot in the rotation if both were in camp.. AND ALL OF YOU KNOW IT!! thats why he was moved.. politics.. GOOD LUCK JASON AND WILLIE!! MY STARTING CENTER!! AND MY FIRST GUARD OFF OF THE BENCH!! i will watch some n.o. games and will remind everyone of your progress. Brackins better be good.— combocancer1975- Cant believe they got a 1st round draft pick for Willie Green. Basically they traded Green for the 22nd pick in the 2010 draft. Bye Willie, dont let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya— youpeoplehaveissues
- This is a bad trade. Now wonder the editors of this website hid the story out of sight, beneath stories about high school football and women's soccer.— Gnip Gnop
- songalia and brackins give us big bodies to help team develop our other big men. don't see either on roster once season begins.— lancasterjeff
- Can't believe we traded two guys with expiring contracts for guys who won't play. At least next year we had flexibility. Now were stuck with two guys we probably wouldn't have drafted or signed as free agents. WTF?
Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for more than 20 years, working in the sports department for the past 15. This is his third season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he was the La Salle beat writer for six seasons. E-mail Bob at cooneyb@phillynews.com and follow him on Twitter.
