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Prospects On Center Stage NBA Preview 2008/09: Final Call
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The Iverson Sweepstakes By Ron Jumper With everyone buzzing about where Allen Iverson should go, the NBA's rumor mill is turning round and round. You wonder where you could picture him playing and who would possibly want him bad enough to give up what it will take to get him. The teams everyone mentions him going to are Minnesota, Boston, and Sacramento. The longshots are Charlotte, Golden State, Indiana, and the Los Angeles Clippers. The only thing left to do is look at the rosters and see what scenarios I can come up with. (I'm not going to mention draft picks in the scenarios, but expect Philly to want draft picks involved as rebuilding is the most likely next move.)  Minnesota Timberwolves The Wolves just don't have very many desirable pieces to offer, other than obviously Kevin Garnett. The Timberwolves want to try to pair KG with AI, which I also think would be an amazing combination. With those guys on the floor, all you would need is the right role players to be a very solid team. The only scenario I could get that both made sense and fit the salary cap restricions doesn't exactly blow you away. Philly trades: Allen Iverson and Rodney Carney Minnesota trades: Randy Foye, Ricky Davis, Eddie Griffin, and Trenton Hassel Why? The 76ers want a young player and the best player the Wolves can offer is Foye. Ricky Davis, while not a superstar, is the best proven player the Wolves have at their disposal to trade. Griffin and Hassel for Minnesota and Carney for Philly are the throw-in pieces to make the numbers work. Does that make sense? If I'm the 76ers, I would hope I could get better value in return. However, I hope this happens because I am a huge Kevin Garnett supporter and would love to see him on a contender. Imagine how dominant the West will be if this trade goes through. Boston It is no secret that Danny Ainge wants AI. The problem is he just doesn't have pieces that the 76ers really want. He has a team full of underachieving young players that don't really get many gm's around the league salivating. Paul Pierce is the only player of any serious trade value and I doubt he goes anywhere. Looking at the numbers, Theo Ratliff or Wally will have to be included to make the numbers work. Philly trades: Allen Iverson Boston trades: Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, and Theo/Wally Why? Al Jefferson and Gerald Green give them two young players that could be part of the core of their roster for the next decade. Theo or Wally were thrown in to make the numbers work. While this trade would be the biggest gamble, it could also be the biggest payoff depending on how Jefferson and Green blossom. Not to mention, the huge cap relief when Theo comes off the books after next season. People forget that part of what Philadelphia has to do to even attempt to get competitive again is get some salary cap room. Does that make sense? Like I said, the 76ers would be taking a huge gamble and I wouldn't make this trade if I had a choice. The Celtics would benefit from this trade in the short term, even though they would still desperately need an inside presence to make a serious playoff push. As AI and Pierce age, the Celtics would get worse and worse because they would be so strapped down due to those players lucrative salaries. Sacramento Surprisingly, the Kings have some solid pieces to offer. Mike Bibby, Brad Miller, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and Kevin Martin. I think there is some truth to the fact that the 76ers want to send AI out west. How much farther west could he get than with the Kings? Philly trades: Allen Iverson and Steven Hunter Sacramento trades: Mike Bibby, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and Kevin Martin Why? It sounds like the Kings are giving up way too much, but then you look at their roster and realize they would be pretty good. Allen Iverson, Ron Artest, and Brad Miller would make a pretty good threesome. The 76ers basically turn into the old Kings since they already have Chris Webber on the roster. However, that isn't a bad thing because it takes much less talent than those Kings teams had to win in the current Eastern Conference. Does this make sense? For the Kings, it could turn out really well. However, it is a huge gamble to have your franchise invested entirely in Allen Iverson and Ron Artest. The 76ers get three solid pieces to the puzzle. However, does this really give them a chance to rebuild for the future? The Rest of the Field The Bobcats, Warriors, Pacers, and Clippers are all long shots to make a trade work. In my eyes, there are way too many issues and problems for these teams to make a serious push. However, it is always fun to dissect and see what can be come up with. The Bobcats have a ridiculous amount of cap room available. However, it is uncertain how willing they are to shape their young franchise around AI or how willing they are to part with their current young talent. The Warriors have some intriguing pieces and, with the health of Jason Richardson uncertain, changes may be upcoming. However, the 76ers probably aren't bending over backwards to get either Andris Beidrins or Mickeal Pietrus to go along with a Baron Davis or Monta Ellis. The Pacers just don't make sense at all here. I really don't know why they would want any part of this. Do you really think acquiring Allen Iverson is going to help your team image? The only way I see the Pacers getting in the mix is if they are willing to part with Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson. The Clippers seem to like the idea of combining AI and Elton Brand. However, I think that would be a disasterous combination for them. Both of those guys have to be a first option. I don't beleive those guys will be able to share, but what do I know?  December 11, 2006 |
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Be Careful What You Wish For
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Jumpology: My Bracket Jumpology: Scouting The Heavyweights Jumpology: Reviewing The Bracket
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