The Seattle Supersonics aren’t going to the playoffs this year, but the trade they made on Valentine’s Day has worked out beautifully. They sent disgruntled small forward Vladimir Radmanovic to the Clippers for Chris Wilcox, and the trade has shown immediate dividends.
The Sonics are 11-10 in the 21 games in which Wilcox played more than 20 minutes. In those games, he has averaged 15.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, while shooting a stellar 60% from the field. Last night, against the Rockets, Wilcox scored 26 points and grabbed 24 rebounds.
I’m sure the Clippers were sad to see Wilcox go, but there just wasn’t enough playing time available behind Elton Brand and Chris Kaman, and he’s good enough to be getting starter’s minutes. For his part, Radmanovic has averaged 12.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg over the last 10 games, and has provided his new team with excellent shooting from long range, hitting 44% of his three-point shots.
It’s a rare thing – a trade that works out for both teams.
