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Written by Bill Johnson
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Monday, 28 July 2008 01:16 |
 The Golden State Warriors wasted little time rebuilding from within after watching star point guard Baron Davis move south to join the Los Angeles Clippers. On Thursday, Chris Broussard of ESPN reported that the team has offered one of the largest pay raises in league history to 22 year-old restricted free agent Monta Ellis, signing the guard to a six-year, $67 million contract. Ellis, a second round draft pick in 2005, will make $11 million this season, up from his 2007/08 salary of $770,610. Vice President of basketball operations Chris Mullin told the AP that, "We are absolutely thrilled to have Monta under contract for the next several years. He has been one of the top young players in the NBA for the last two years and enjoyed a tremendous season last year. The growth that he has demonstrated at such a young age is incredible and we look forward to him playing a big part in our future success."  Ellis averaged 20 points per game as the 2-guard last season, but will start this fall at the point, feeding new shooting guard Stephen Jackson and small forward Corey Maggette. The team also matched the Clippers’ offer of a 3-year/$9 million contract to reserve guard Kelenna Azubuike. As reported by the Associated Press, the D-League alumnus started 17 games for the Warriors last season, and should see increased playing time this year. "We are pleased to have Kelenna back in the fold," said Chris Mullin, the Warriors' top basketball executive. "He's a young and talented player who has continued to improve during his two seasons with our team. His versatility, athleticism and ability to shoot the 3-pointer certainly fit our style of play."  Azubuike had signed an offer sheet with the Clippers last week, but Golden State matched the numbers to retain the reliable back-up. The team also announced that it has signed this year’s second round pick, forward Richard Hendrix.
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Bill Johnson is a staff member of the Business of Sports Network
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