The HRR NBA Trade Analyses Archive

November 7, 1997: "Armstrong and Muggsy get Their Wish"

The Golden State Warriors traded G B.J. Armstrong to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for G Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues and second year G Tony Delk.

1997 - ‘98 Salaries:

B.J. Armstrong, Cha.: $2.6 M

Muggsy Bogues, GS: $1.8 M

Tony Delk, Golden State: $1 M

Who got the better of the deal?

Neither club.

Why?

The Hornets and Muggsy had been at odds over the status of his left knee for quite a while.  The Bogues situation started in June, when Hornets’ coach Dave Cowens said at a media gathering that Bogues should retire because of a chronic injury to his left knee.

Bogues reacted angrily, saying he would continue playing. Bogues told The Charlotte Observer, ``If they don't want me, trade me, because I'll be playing basketball somewhere.''

Bogues, his agent David Falk, Hornets owner George Shinn and team vice president Bob Bass met in August.  Falk thought the situation was resolved at that meeting, and said Bogues was promised a job with the Hornets after his playing career was over.

That meeting didn't end the hostility.  Bogues was barred from the first few practices of the preseason because he refused to take a magnetic resonance imaging exam on the knee.  After agreeing to the test, Bogues felt he wasn't used enough in practice or exhibitions to get in shape or compete for playing time.

By Friday's trade, Bogues had dropped from starting point guard last season to third behind David Wesley and Corey Beck.

Healthy or not, Bogues is the best point guard on the Warriors team.  Bimbo Coles has been ineffective running the club.

Delk is a 6’ 2 scoring guard who has tried to improve his point guard skills.  With his long arms and quickness, Tony is a very good defender.  With a healthy Brian Shaw, Bogues, starter Latrell Sprewell, Coles and Delk, the Warriors could actually have a productive back court which would allow head coach P.J. Carlesimo and GM Garry St. Jean to work on solving the problems in the front court.

After the Warriors lost at Toronto on 11 / 5 to make their record 0 - 4 to start the season, Armstrong said:

``This is a bad team. We've got to start over.''

``We've got to start from the ground up,'' he said. ``If they're trying to rebuild, they've got to take a look at management, personnel, players, everything.  You've got to do something.  I've been around for too long now to go through the frustration and pain of being on a young team. I'm not into that.  This is frustrating as hell to me.''

``You're asking for miracles now,'' he said of his team's ability to change its early direction. ``You don't just turn it on and off. . . . There's nothing one individual is going to do.  We don't have those types of luxuries where one guy is going to carry us.  We have to be a 12-man unit, and the way we're playing, this isn't going to get it done.

``I can't accept this, I'm not going to accept it, and I'm letting them know I'm not accepting coming out every night just to play catch-up basketball.  If this is how it's going to be, it's time to make changes or move the necessary people to improve their team.''

Asked if that meant he wanted to be traded, Armstrong said, ``I'm asking them to do what's best for them.  This is a young team, and being a guy who's been around for a while, I don't fit in with this group as far as what they're trying to do. I'm not going to show them anything I haven't shown over the past nine years.''

B.J. should back up David Wesley at point guard.  However, B.J. has never been a player who can run an offense effectively.  He is a scoring guard with a point guard’s size.  Corey Beck has started in place of injured shooting guard Bobby Phills. Once Phills returns, coach Cowens will have an interesting dilemma:  Wesley and Phills as starters; with Dell Curry, Armstrong, and Beck coming off the bench.  There isn’t a great floor leader in the group.