Indianapolis: Controversial guard Stephen Jackson, facing charges for firing a gun in an October brawl at a strip club, was sent to Golden State by the Indiana Pacers as part of an eight-player swap.

Wednesday's deal also saw the Pacers trade forwards Al Harrington and Josh Powell plus Lithuanian guard Sarunas Jasikevicius to the Warriors in exchange for forwards Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, Ike Diogu and guard Keith McLeod.

Jackson's troubled National Basketball Association career included rushing into the stands to aid Pacer teammate Ron Artest and ignite a brawl at a game in Detroit in 2005.

During pre-season training camp, Jackson and Pacer teammates Jamaal Tinsley, Jimmie Hunter and Marquis Daniels were involved in a scuffle outside a strip club that ended with Jackson firing his weapon in what he termed self defense.

Last month, the Pacers suspended Jackson for a game after a heated exchange with coach Rick Carlisle in a loss at Cleveland in which he objected to being removed from the game late in the second quarter.

The moves came two weeks after Pacers star forward Jermaine O'Neal told the Indianapolis Star the team needed to make some changes or trade him, saying, "If we don't have the crew to win a championship then what are we doing?"

The Pacers reached the NBA semi-finals in 2004 but lost in the quarter-final round in 2005 and the first round last year.

Both clubs are struggling to reach the playoffs as the NBA season nears the halfway mark. Golden State, which has not reached the playoffs since 1994, is 19-20 and one game behind Denver for the final Western Conference playoff spot.

"We're always looking to make our team better and with this move I think we've accomplished that goal," Warriors vice president Chris Mullin said.

"We have acquired players who will fit in very well with our particular style," he said.

The Pacers, 20-18, are seventh in the Eastern Conference and trying to keep alive a streak of playoff berths dating to 1997.

"We feel we made a pretty significant trade for the franchise that will be good for both teams," said former NBA superstar Larry Bird, the Pacers president of basketball operations.

"Trades are always painful because you give up players you like, but in this case we think it's a good trade that works for both teams. We feel the players we got will make a significant difference in the franchise," he said.

Jackson, in his third season with the Pacers, averaged 14.1 points a game while Harrington ranked second on the team in scoring with 15.9 points a game, Jasikevicius averaged 7.4 points and seldom-used Powell averaged 1.7 points.

Dunleavy averaged 11.4 points a game for the Warriors while Murphy averaged 8.9 points, McLeod averaged 5.3 points and Diogu, an American whose parents are both from Nigeria, averaged 7.2 points in 17 games.

Harrington and Jackson are signed through 2010 while Murphy and Dunleavy have inked deals lasting through 2011.

The Pacers were set to be shorthanded for Thursday's game at Miami without either the lost or new players. The newcomers were expected to make their Indiana debut Saturday in a home game against New York.