Excellent trade in my mind. Drew Gooden was a waste last year. On numerous occassions he would not stand during player introductions with the rest of the team. Along with Tracy McGrady and Donnell Harvey, this is just another distraction moved to another team. We also gave up our draft rights to Anderson Varejao. Steven Hunter was signed to a contract and included to make the trade work.
In return, we get a solid veteran in Tony Battie. Battie is known for his locker room presence and should provide a good role model for Dwight Gooden. Depending on Howard's progress, look for Battie to start at the beginning of the season.
