New signing Andrew Bogut is seen as the long-sought big man needed to get the Golden State Warriors out of a deep and depressing NBA playoffs funk.
The Warriors have made just one playoffs appearance since 1994.
General manager Larry Riley on Wednesday described the five-player trade deal which landed Australian centre Bogut as a “bold step” to rectify that sorry stat.
To achieve it, the Warriors sent marketable commodities in high-scoring guard Monta Ellis, emerging power forward Ekpe Udoh and centre Kwame Brown to Milwaukee in return for Bogut and forward Stephen Jackson.
The Warriors have spent most of the past three decades without a true, topflight centre – perhaps since trading Robert Parrish to Boston in 1980.
The trade is the biggest move made since new owner Joe Lacob took over the team early last season and was an admission that the popular, but undersized, backcourt of Ellis and Stephen Curry did not work.
So plenty will be expected of 27-year-old former No.1 draft pick Bogut when he returns from injury, possibly only next season.
“We were stuck,” said Riley. “Do you want to be stuck three games below .500 at this time of the year every year? Do you want to be stuck five games below or something like that?
“That’s where we were and that’s where we were going next year if we couldn’t do something.
“The bottom line is we were absolutely ecstatic that we were able to make a trade and finally able to bring a big man into this organisation, and a big man of quality.
“Our mandate has been to be aggressive. Let’s get something done here. We took a bold step. We know it’s a bold step. We’re happy about it. We think there are some tremendously good things that will come from this deal.”
The broken left ankle Bogut suffered on January 25 against Houston is one of several significant injuries that plagued Bogut throughout his career with the Bucks.
Riley said team doctors reviewed Bogut’s medical records and signed off on the deal and two other specialists were called in to review Bogut’s health.
“Everything is moving in the right direction,” Riley said.
“The progress is as it should be. There should be no reason why the healing should not continue in the proper fashion. That’s the medical advice we’re operating under.”
When Bogut has played, he has played well. In 408 career games, he is averaging 12.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots.
He averaged a double-double for three straight seasons and is a strong interior defender.