updated 9:28 p.m. ET Feb. 24, 2005

OAKLAND, Calif. - The Golden State Warriors acquired guard Baron Davis from the New Orleans Hornets on Thursday for guard Speedy Claxton and forward Dale Davis.

Baron Davis, a two-time All-Star who finished sixth in the NBA in scoring last season, will form a potent backcourt combination with Jason Richardson in Golden State — if he’s healthy. He has missed 36 games this season while struggling with several minor injuries, but still is considered one of the league’s top point guards.

“We’re very happy,” Chris Mullin, Golden State’s executive vice president of basketball operations, said in a conference call Thursday night. “You’re always concerned with any athlete’s health. All trades are contingent on physicals. We’ll do that tomorrow and go from there. Baron’s 25 and we feel we’re getting him in his prime.”

Davis informed reporters of the deal in New Orleans shortly after the NBA trade deadline passed. The former UCLA star craved a return to California after spending his first 5½ seasons in Charlotte and New Orleans with the Hornets, who drafted him third overall in 1999.

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Davis played in the Hornets’ home loss to Seattle on Wednesday night after missing the previous 17 games with a bruised Achilles’ tendon.

“For me it’s sad, because I consider this home and because of all the people I’ve met here and built relationships with,” Davis said. “You know it hurts, but at the same time I don’t regret any decisions that I made. I don’t think the Hornets regret any decisions that they made. It was just time for us to part ways.”

Mullin said he spoke to Davis, who is “really excited.”

Davis clashed with new coach Byron Scott this season, particularly when Davis chose to do his lengthy rehabilitation from his heel injury back home in Los Angeles in recent weeks. The Hornets also made the deal to clear salary cap room, since Davis is owed approximately $63 million over the next four years.

But the Warriors gladly will pay that price to add an elite player to their core of Richardson, Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, Adonal Foyle and Derek Fisher.

Not having to give up Dunleavy was a big plus.

“It’s a huge part of the deal that makes the deal that much better,” Mullin said. “My mindset always has been keeping our young core together and adding as much talent around it.”

Mullin believes Davis will make the Warriors better right away. He will probably play in Sunday’s home game against the defending NBA champion Detroit Pistons.

“I feel our team has shown improvement more than our record has shown,” Mullin said. “We’ve played a lot of close games. A player like Baron can contribute to winning those close games and, with the players we were able to retain, catapult them to new heights as well.”

When rumors of the deal circulated around the Arena in Oakland on Wednesday night, Richardson was thrilled.

“I’m on the phone right now,” he said. “Me and B.D. are good friends. That would be huge for the franchise. He can do a lot of things when he’s healthy.”

Golden State also acquired Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Rodney White from Denver for Eduardo Najera, Luis Flores and a first-round draft pick.

Tskitishvili, the fifth overall pick of the 2002 draft, turned out to be little more than a fan favorite and 12th man. He was averaging only 1.5 points per game this season. White averaged 5.6 points per game and his playing time has diminished as the season progressed.

Najera is a fourth-year veteran who averages 4.2 points and 2.8 rebounds, while Flores was acquired in a trade from Dallas last summer.

Claxton was in his second year with the Warriors, but the former Hofstra guard never got comfortable. He fought off challenges for his starting job from Nick Van Exel and Fisher, but couldn’t score consistently enough to help Golden State become a winner.

Dale Davis, a 14-year veteran, is in his first season with Golden State, which acquired him from Portland in a deal for Van Exel. He hasn’t played consistently with the Warriors, but his contract expires this summer.

The Hornets are the Western Conference’s worst team at 11-43, while the Warriors are right above them at 16-38. Both teams were busy at the deadline, with New Orleans also getting Glenn Robinson from Philadelphia.

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