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Warriors trade Marco Belinelli to Raptors for Devean George[/h1]
July 29, 2009 · Filed Under
Golden State Warriors,
News,
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have acquired guard Marco Belinelli (Mar-co Belle-EE-NELLI) from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for forward Devean George and cash considerations.
"Marco fills a void at the wing position where his shooting and scoring strengths will be needed. Marco's versatility and playmaking abilities make him a very valuable piece for us," said Bryan Colangelo, Raptors President and General Manager.
Belinelli, the 18th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, averaged 8.9 points, 2.1 assists, 1.7 rebounds and 21.0 minutes in 42 games last season with Golden State. He registered four 20-point games during the 2008-09 campaign, including a career-high 27 points December 12, 2008 at Atlanta.
Through 75 career games Belinelli owns a .395 mark from three-point range (68-for-172). As a rookie he appeared in 33 games, averaging 2.9 points in 7.3 minutes.
Prior to joining the Warriors, the 23 year-old, 6-foot-5 guard from Bologna, Italy, played professionally in Italy for five seasons. In 33 games during the 2006-07 season with Fortitudo Bologna in Serie A, Belinelli averaged 16.4 points, while shooting .544 (99-for-182) from the field. In 13 Euroleague contests, he averaged 12.9 points on .438 (32-for-73) from the field.
A member of the Italian National Team, Belinelli averaged 13.5 points per game during the 2006 FIBA World Championship, including 25 points in a losing effort against Team USA in preliminary round play.
"We're looking forward to adding a veteran with Devean's experience to our squad," said Warriors General Manager Larry Riley. "He is obviously a proven winner and has been on several very successful teams during his career, which is something we feel is important when you look at the youth on our roster. He is a versatile player and someone who we feel can contribute both on and off the court."
George, 31, is a 10-year NBA veteran who has played the last three seasons with the Dallas Mavericks after spending the first seven years of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Last season he appeared in 43 games for the Mavs, averaging 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 16.5 minutes. Originally drafted with the 23rd overall selection in the 1999 NBA Draft, George owns career averages of 5.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 18.7 minutes in 585 regular-season contests. Additionally, the 6-8 guard/forward has appeared in 86 playoff games during his career, which includes four trips to the NBA Finals (2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004) while with the Lakers and winning three-straight NBA Championships from 2000-02.
"We're looking forward to adding a veteran with Devean's experience to our squad," said Warriors General Manager Larry Riley. "
He is obviously a proven winner and has been on several very successful teams during his career, which is something we feel is important when you look at the youth on our roster. He is a versatile player and someone who we feel can contribute both on and off the court."
He is obviously a proven winner
He is obviously a proven winner
He is obviously a proven winner
