*UPDATE*

I saw that my old Earl Boykins’ post was getting a lot of hits recently so I decided to give you all a little update on the whole Earl Boykins’ situation. For those of you who don’t know, after last season (with the Milwaukee Bucks), Boykins opted out of the final year of his contract (a $3 million option). Currently, Boykins has yet to find a team. This is a travesty. I am and always will be a huge Boykins fan and can only hope the Nuggets pick him up just so I can see him sit the bench. Look for some team needing some depth at point guard to pick up Boykins sometime this season, as he is the top point guard out there right now.

It was bound to happen, although I didn’t want to admit it. The Denver Nuggets have traded PG Earl Boykins to the Milwaukee Bucks for Bucks PG Steve Blake.

When you do an image search on Google for Earl Boykins, it comes up with a bunch of pictures of Boykins standing next to some of the NBA’s big men. This picture of Boykins next to Heat C Shaquille O’Neal is kind of comical. It really puts into perspective how small Boykins is. Why he may be small in stature, his perfomance for the Denver Nuggets was anything but small. Unfortunately, as is often the case, trading Boykins was more of business move than anything else. With the aquisition of PG Allen Iverson, the Nuggets needed to clear some salary cap room for next season. Since both Boykins and Iverson play guard, someone had to go. Seeing how Iverson was aquired in a trade with Philadelphia that sent a quality player and two first round draft picks to the 76ers, it seemed obvious that Boykins was going to be that man.

Boykins is only 5′5″ and weighs only 133 pounds. But that hasn’t stopped him from being a force for the Nuggets. In the wake of the brawl/Allen Iverson trade, Boykins has stepped up big. Boykins was averaging 23.2 points per game in the absence of Nuggets’ star Carmelo Anthony including a 29 point game following the infamous brawl. The duo of Boykins and Iverson was touted as the fastest backcourt in the NBA. Alas, the duo is now split up and with the return of Anthony looming it was probably for the best. After all, there is only one ball.

The Nuggets will miss the spark off the bench that Boykins provided before Iverson came to town and before Anthony was suspended. The Nuggets are currently tied for second in the Northwest division. It’s still anyones division, but without Boykins it may be a little harder for the Nuggets to get to the playoffs. Anthony will return from his 15-game suspesion Monday, January 22, against Memphis. Getting Anthony will no doubt help, but losing Boykins still hurts.

As a Nuggets fan, I’m going to miss Boykins. The guy can benchpress 300 pounds. As if that isn’t impressive enough, the man is a baller. I wish him the best in Miluakee. Without doubt, he will succeed. Hopefully not when he plays the Nuggets though.

Goodbye Earl Boykins, we hardly knew ye.