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The New Jersey Nets have obtained forward Troy Murphy from the Indiana Pacers as part of a four-team trade which also involved the Houston Rockets and New Orleans Hornets, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. As part of the transaction, the Rockets acquire Nets guard Courtney Lee and send Trevor Ariza to New Orleans, with Indiana acquiring Darren Collison and James Posey from the Hornets.
“We are very pleased to add Troy to our roster,” said King. “He is a quality power forward who has the ability to stretch the floor, and we feel that he will be a very positive addition to our frontcourt rotation.”
Murphy, 6’11”/245, is a nine-year NBA veteran with career averages of 12.1 points and 8.6 rebounds in 29.4 minutes over 621 career games (477 starts) with Golden State and Indiana. He has shot .447 (2,707-6,054) from the field and .394 (569-1,443) from behind the arc. The Notre Dame product was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the first round (14th overall) of the 2001 NBA Draft. Murphy has averaged a double-double in five of his nine years and had his best season in 2004-05 when he averaged 15.4 points and 10.8 rebounds in 33.9 minutes for Golden State. In 2008-09, he became the only player in NBA history to rank among the league’s top five in both rebounding average (11.8) and three-point field goal percentage (.450, 161-358). Last season, Murphy appeared in 72 games, including 69 starts, posting averages of 14.6 points on 47.2 percent shooting and 10.2 rebounds in 32.6 minutes for Indiana. In addition, Murphy ranked 10th in the NBA in double-doubles with 39.
Ariza (6-8, 210), who was drafted in the second round (43rd overall) by New York in the 2004 NBA Draft, averaged 14.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 72 games (71 starts) last year in his first season with the Rockets. Ariza, 25 years old, posted 12 20-point games last year and also registered 10 double-doubles. He spent the five previous seasons with New York, Orlando and the L.A. Lakers, including winning an NBA Championship in 2009 with the Lakers. During the title run, Ariza started all 23 postseason games for the Lakers, averaging 11.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.57 steals. He led the Lakers with 40 triples made in the post-season. Ariza holds career averages of 8.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.25 steals in 383 games (123 starts) in six NBA seasons.
Collison (6-0, 160) was selected in the first round (21st overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft, averaged 12.4 points, 5.7 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 27.8 minutes in 76 games (37 starts) in his rookie year for the Hornets. In 37 starts, averaged 18.8 points, 9.1 assists (most among rookies in starts), and 3.5 rebounds in 40.3 minutes per game. Collison was named the February T-Mobile Rookie of the Month and registered his first career triple-double with 18 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists vs. Indiana on Feb. 19. For the season, he ranked second in free-throw percentage (.851), and third in assists (5.7), third in three-point percentage (.400) among rookies.
Posey (6-8, 217), averaged 5.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 22.5 minutes over 77 games (two starts) in his second year with the Hornets. He had 11 games with 10 or more points and hit back-to-back game-winners for New Orleans in January. Posey, who has won championships with both Boston and Miami, holds career averages of 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 27.5 minutes in 815 games (479 starts) during time spent with the New Orleans Hornets, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets.
Lee (6-5, 200, Western Kentucky) owns career averages of 10.3 points (.442, 581-1,315 FG; .854, 211-247 FT), 2.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.14 steals in 148 career games (108 starts) with Orlando and New Jersey. A consistent shooter from beyond the arc, Lee also owns a career mark of .369 (158-428 3FG) from 3-point range, which included 82-of-203 (.404) treys made with the Magic in 2008-09. During the 2009 postseason, Lee played in 21 games (16 starts) and averaged 8.0 points in helping the Magic reach the NBA Finals. He also poured in playoff-career-high 24 points vs. Philadelphia (4/22/09). Selected by Orlando in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft, Lee was a key piece in a trade to New Jersey along with Rafer Alston and Tony Battie in exchange for Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson on June 25, 2009.
Lee, who averaged 14 points per game after last season’s All-Star Break, finished the season with averages of 12.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per contest in 71 games (66 starts) with the Nets in 2009-10. A player who also prides himself on defense, his versatility allowed him to guard multiple positions and post 1.31 steals per game last season. He hit .436 (338-775 FG) from the field, .338 (76-225 3FG) from downtown and finished sixth on New Jersey’s top-10, single-season free throw percentage list at .869 (133-153 FT). In his 66 starts, Lee averaged 12.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 34.6 minutes. Overall, Lee improved in 10 statistical categories from his 2008-09 rookie season with the Magic where he averaged 8.4 points and 2.3 rebounds.
