And the winner is . . .

It's not very often that one-quarter of an NBA team's players gets shipped across the country in exchange for a quarter of another team's active players. But it happened Wednesday.

The just-over .500 Indiana Pacers sent four players — including two starters — to the just-under .500 Golden State Warriors for four players of their own.

The Warriors, under new/old coach Don Nelson, are trying to make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. They acquired Al Harrington, Stephen Jackson, Josh Powell and Sarunas Jasikevicius.

The Pacers, a longtime Eastern Conference power, are trying to get back to their former level of success. Indiana got Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, Ike Diogu and ex-Jazzman Keith McLeod.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, it seems.

Whenever a major deal like this goes through, the media and fans alike attempt to make a quick judgement on who made the better trade.

At first glance, it seems, the Warriors won by getting better players and saving guaranteed money in the process. The Pacers added some $30 million more in long-term salary than they traded.

Then again, a closer look reveals that both teams may come out better because of the deal.

Harrington is the best all-around player in the trade, no question about it. He averaged a career-high 18.6 points last year for the Atlanta Hawks and he won't turn 27 until next month despite the fact that he's an eight-year NBA veteran. In fact, he was a teammate of current Warriors executive vice president Chris Mullin for two years after being drafted straight out of high school in 1998.

The Pacers reacquired Harrington in an offseason sign-and-trade deal worth $35.3 million for four years. Yet, for whatever reason, Harrington's second stint with the Pacers wasn't going as planned — although he was still averaging 15.9 points and 6.3 rebounds. The Pacers couldn't seem to find the best way to use both Harrington and good friend Jermaine O'Neal together.

But Harrington's skills appear to be well-suited for Nelson's run-and-gun style. With Golden State in ninth place in the Western Conference at the halfway point, the goal now is to get into the top eight and back to the playoffs for the first time since 1994.

Jackson, a 6-8 guard, was averaging 14.1 points and 3.1 assists this year, but was shooting just 41.9 percent from the floor for the Pacers. He'd also worn out his welcome after off-court problems and difficulties with Indiana coach Rick Carlisle. A fresh start in the Bay Area may be exactly what Jackson needs.