Frankly, this deal was more Moneyball than basketball.

The Golden State Warriors faced millions in NBA luxury tax, because of a bloated payroll. Jason Richardson was coming off a season of injury and another wing scorer, Monta Ellis, was emerging as the team's best young player. Ellis and center Andris Biedrins were going to demand big contracts in the coming years.

And there were the Charlotte Bobcats, with a burning need for a scorer and abundant salary-cap room to absorb Richardson's $11million-plus salary last season.

So it all came together on draft night 13 months ago, with the Bobcats shipping cap room and the eighth pick – former North Carolina forward Brandan Wright – to the Warriors. And that helps explain why Wright, a talented but skinny 6-foot-9 forward, in essence spent his rookie season in limbo on the Warriors' bench.

When he played, he was pretty good, averaging nine points and five rebounds in those nine games of 15 minutes or more. But coach Don Nelson couldn't afford to play a rookie while chasing the playoffs in a Western Conference so good that 48 victories didn't get them the eighth seed.

Now things are changing, and Wright – 20 years old, raw-boned and still with braces on his teeth – thinks he took the right course leaving the Tar Heels after a single season.

“When you're projected to go that high, how can you turn down your NBA dream? You can definitely change a lot of things about your family's life,” said Wright, who made about $2.3million last season.

Even back in March, when the Heels were making their Final Four run, and Wright was mostly sitting with the Warriors, there were no second thoughts.

“They were already a great team. They would have been the perfect team, I guess,” had he stayed, Wright said. “But I made the right decision, and they definitely did a great job. I expect them to win it next year.”

By then, he figures to be in Golden State's rotation. Richardson's departure for Charlotte proved to be the first of many changes. Point guard Baron Davis opted out of his contract and signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. Then Mickael Pietrus, a forward who might have consumed some of Wright's playing time, left the Warriors for the Orlando Magic.

“Now we've got a really, really young team,” Wright said before Tuesday night's summer-league game against the Bobcats. “It's different. They need people to step up.”

The Warriors beat the Bobcats 99-93, with the Bobcats again giving away the ball. They finished with 27 turnovers.

Golden State forward Marco Belinelli finished with 30 points. C.J. Watson added 23 and Wright had 11.

Rookie point guard D.J. Augustin continues to shine for the Bobcats. He finished with 30 points off 9-of-14 shooting. He didn't have an assist, but he added six rebounds.

Late in the game, he put a tremendous move on Belinelli, up-faking him, drawing a foul and hitting the 17-foot basket.

Notes

Bobcats forward Jared Dudley sat out the game with back spasms, while Othello Hunter (Ohio State, Winston-Salem native) left the team for personal reasons. … Coach Larry Brown left Las Vegas, leaving the assistants in charge. … UNC Greensboro's Kyle Hines air-balled a free throw Tuesday, and barely grazed the rim on his second attempt. Hines was a 58percent foul-shooter in college.