Mr.Bottomtooth
07-27-2006, 12:52 PM
GOLDEN STATE
Troy Murphy, Ike Diogu, Mickael Pietrus and Zarko Cabarkapa for Iverson
If anybody outside of Philadelphia is likely to undergo a late-summer face-lift, it's the Warriors. And after apparently failing in their pursuit of Al Harrington (Indiana is expected to nab him in a sign-and-trade deal thanks to its mammoth trade exception), Golden State's brass can turn its attention to Iverson.
With several inexpensive young talents on board, a deal with the Warriors could certainly give Philly the post-Iverson boost it needs. The trade above represents a broad outline, but here are several variants depending on which players quicken the pulse of Sixers GM Billy King the most.
For instance, Pietrus could be replaced with Andris Biedrins at Philly's choosing, or if the teams waited until October, the Warriors could replace Pietrus with the combo of Monta Ellis and either Keith McLeod or Andre Owens (both of whom were traded from Utah in July, so they can't be moved again in a package deal for three months).
Additionally, Diogu or Murphy almost certainly would be conveyed to a third team since they both play the same position as Chris Webber. Another monkey wrench involves waiting until October, then adding both McLeod and Devin Brown to the deal as cap ballast, allowing the Sixers to dump Kyle Korver's contract in the Bay. Alternatively, the Warriors might insist on adding some combo of McLeod, Brown and Owens to the deal just to keep them under the luxury-tax threshold.
In any event, this deal doesn't look as great for the Sixers as it does for the Warriors, unless Philly places a very high value on Diogu and/or Ellis. Murphy overlaps with Webber, and pairing the two is unthinkable from a defensive perspective, so getting him should be a very low priority. Even more, Murphy's contract runs two years longer than Iverson's, so the Sixers won't get much in the way of cap relief.
Odds: 7-1
NEW YORK
Steve Francis, Maurice Taylor, Malik Rose, Channing Frye and Nate Robinson for Iverson, Kyle Korver and Sam Dalembert
New York would be the logical place to turn if the Sixers were focused mainly on cap relief. Jalen Rose's expiring $16 million deal alone would be enough to trade straight up for Iverson, or the Knicks could spread the cap relief over two years by combining Malik Rose (whose deal expires in 2008) and Maurice Taylor (whose numbers are up after this season).
But the most likely scenario (not that any of these are likely, mind you) would need to be a blockbuster, because New York already has two expensive point guards (Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis). Adding Iverson to that group wouldn't make much sense unless the Knicks could unload one of their two current point guards.
In this scenario, both teams would need to pull in other players to make the deal equitable, as a straight-up Francis and Channing Frye for Iverson deal is unlikely to cut the mustard in Philly. As a result, a bigger deal giving the Sixers more cap relief by dumping the contracts of Korver and Dalembert seems more realistic. Jalen Rose could just as easily replace the Taylor-Rose combo in the deal above, and any of the Knicks' youngsters could swap for Nate Robinson, as well.
Finally, if this type of deal ever came to fruition, a third team (and perhaps a fourth) would almost certainly need to get involved. The Knicks already are paying close to $100 million at the center spot and wouldn't seem to have a need for Dalembert, while the Sixers probably would want to deal Malik Rose for a backcourt player.
Odds: 25-1
ATLANTA
Josh Smith, Tyronn Lue and Josh Childress for Iverson
The Hawks are an inviting destination for Iverson because they're sitting on nearly $10 million in cap space to make a deal work, and at any rate they will have a trade exception worth several million dollars if and when they sign-and-trade Harrington to Indiana.
Dealing with the Hawks would accomplish two of Philly's goals -- getting cap relief and talented youth -- so the bigger question is whether the Hawks are in position to make a play. Atlanta's fractured ownership situation certainly complicates matters, and GM Billy Knight has been one of the league's most reluctant deal-makers since he's come to Atlanta.
To pull off a deal for the Answer, Atlanta would need to include Josh Smith or Marvin Williams at a minimum. My guess is that Philly would prefer Smith since he'll be able to contribute immediately and will provide some of the crowd-pleasing moments that would make up for Iverson's loss. Josh Childress makes a nice sweetener who can fortify a lackluster second unit, while Tyronn Lue is the easiest part of the puzzle -- Atlanta wouldn't need an extra point guard, the Sixers would, and Speedy Claxton can't be traded until December 15.
The other benefit of this deal is it would give the Sixers a huge trade exception that they could use until next summer, potentially giving them a leg up in free agency despite being over the cap.
The fly in the ointment here would be on the Hawks' side of the ledger. Iverson would certainly provide a short-term attendance boost -- he's one of the few visiting players who reliably packs 'em in at the moribund Philips Arena. But one has to wonder if it's wise to add a 31-year-old guard whose greatest skill (quickness) is the one that declines most rapidly with age. This is particularly true when the cost is Smith, a 20-year-old jumping jack with 3-point range, and when the team went 26-56 a year ago and appears to be years from contending for anything important.
Odds: 8-1
DENVER
Kenyon Martin and Andre Miller for Iverson
The Nuggets have a few different scenarios that might work for Philly. The most plausible involves Kenyon Martin and Andre Miller, who combine to match Iverson's salary almost perfectly. Miller would slide right into the point guard job in Philly, while Martin and Chris Webber could alternate games at power forward depending on whose knees felt better that night. (Or, more realistically, the Sixers could convey Martin to a third team with a need at power forward).
Since Martin doesn't fit well, the Sixers might make a deal work without him -- even though he's the guy the Nuggets really want to trade. Miller and Ruben Patterson's expiring contract would be enough to get a deal done, with somebody like Linas Kleiza likely throw in to give the Sixers a decent young player and keep the Nuggets under the luxury-tax line.
Denver also has two No. 1 picks next year, at least one of which it could use as a sweetener to try to get Philly to accept Martin. In the Nuggets' best-case scenario, the Sixers take Martin and Patterson, with Kleiza and a future No. 1 lumped into the mix as added incentive. Denver also might be open to a shooter like Korver getting added to the mix, with either Eduardo Najera or a signed-and-traded Reggie Evans going back to Philly.
However, just because the Nuggets could get a deal done doesn't mean they're on the phone pushing for it. One gets the sense from Denver's recent flurry of maneuvers that they've moved on to other things, and that might be for the best anyway. For all Iverson does, he's not much of an outside shooter, meaning he does nothing to address the team's most glaring need.
Odds: 15-1
BOSTON
Wally Szczerbiak, Al Jefferson, Delonte West and Dwayne Jones for Iverson
Boston has been considered the leading Iverson suitor for some time, and looking at its roster it's easy to see why. The Celtics have hordes of young players to mix and match as part of a deal depending on Philadelphia's tastes -- Gerald Green, Kendrick Perkins, Tony Allen or Ryan Gomes could replace Jefferson or West if that was whom the Sixers preferred. Plus, Boston has the benefit of two large contracts (Wally Szczerbiak's and, if they wait until late September, Theo Ratliff's) that can be used as the main building block of a deal.
Additionally, the C's wouldn't mind lightening the roster a bit. The Celtics have 14 guaranteed contracts for next season plus two undrafted players (Allan Ray and Kevin Pittsnogle) that they might prefer to keep, so making a 4-for-1 deal like this one would alleviate the overcrowding.
Another variant would add Philly's Kyle Korver and Boston's Brian Scalabrine to the mix, because the scenario above doesn't provide Philly with much cap relief. Allowing Philadelphia to dump Korver's contract on Boston in return for the even-more-useless but slightly-less well-compensated Scalabrine would give the Sixers more cap relief than the above scenario affords. Boston could even take things a step further and add Ratliff on the Boston side and Dalembert on Philly's, but it's unlikely that the Sixers would accept such a glaring difference in talent just to drop the final years of Dalembert's contract.
Odds: 5-1
Discuss.
Troy Murphy, Ike Diogu, Mickael Pietrus and Zarko Cabarkapa for Iverson
If anybody outside of Philadelphia is likely to undergo a late-summer face-lift, it's the Warriors. And after apparently failing in their pursuit of Al Harrington (Indiana is expected to nab him in a sign-and-trade deal thanks to its mammoth trade exception), Golden State's brass can turn its attention to Iverson.
With several inexpensive young talents on board, a deal with the Warriors could certainly give Philly the post-Iverson boost it needs. The trade above represents a broad outline, but here are several variants depending on which players quicken the pulse of Sixers GM Billy King the most.
For instance, Pietrus could be replaced with Andris Biedrins at Philly's choosing, or if the teams waited until October, the Warriors could replace Pietrus with the combo of Monta Ellis and either Keith McLeod or Andre Owens (both of whom were traded from Utah in July, so they can't be moved again in a package deal for three months).
Additionally, Diogu or Murphy almost certainly would be conveyed to a third team since they both play the same position as Chris Webber. Another monkey wrench involves waiting until October, then adding both McLeod and Devin Brown to the deal as cap ballast, allowing the Sixers to dump Kyle Korver's contract in the Bay. Alternatively, the Warriors might insist on adding some combo of McLeod, Brown and Owens to the deal just to keep them under the luxury-tax threshold.
In any event, this deal doesn't look as great for the Sixers as it does for the Warriors, unless Philly places a very high value on Diogu and/or Ellis. Murphy overlaps with Webber, and pairing the two is unthinkable from a defensive perspective, so getting him should be a very low priority. Even more, Murphy's contract runs two years longer than Iverson's, so the Sixers won't get much in the way of cap relief.
Odds: 7-1
NEW YORK
Steve Francis, Maurice Taylor, Malik Rose, Channing Frye and Nate Robinson for Iverson, Kyle Korver and Sam Dalembert
New York would be the logical place to turn if the Sixers were focused mainly on cap relief. Jalen Rose's expiring $16 million deal alone would be enough to trade straight up for Iverson, or the Knicks could spread the cap relief over two years by combining Malik Rose (whose deal expires in 2008) and Maurice Taylor (whose numbers are up after this season).
But the most likely scenario (not that any of these are likely, mind you) would need to be a blockbuster, because New York already has two expensive point guards (Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis). Adding Iverson to that group wouldn't make much sense unless the Knicks could unload one of their two current point guards.
In this scenario, both teams would need to pull in other players to make the deal equitable, as a straight-up Francis and Channing Frye for Iverson deal is unlikely to cut the mustard in Philly. As a result, a bigger deal giving the Sixers more cap relief by dumping the contracts of Korver and Dalembert seems more realistic. Jalen Rose could just as easily replace the Taylor-Rose combo in the deal above, and any of the Knicks' youngsters could swap for Nate Robinson, as well.
Finally, if this type of deal ever came to fruition, a third team (and perhaps a fourth) would almost certainly need to get involved. The Knicks already are paying close to $100 million at the center spot and wouldn't seem to have a need for Dalembert, while the Sixers probably would want to deal Malik Rose for a backcourt player.
Odds: 25-1
ATLANTA
Josh Smith, Tyronn Lue and Josh Childress for Iverson
The Hawks are an inviting destination for Iverson because they're sitting on nearly $10 million in cap space to make a deal work, and at any rate they will have a trade exception worth several million dollars if and when they sign-and-trade Harrington to Indiana.
Dealing with the Hawks would accomplish two of Philly's goals -- getting cap relief and talented youth -- so the bigger question is whether the Hawks are in position to make a play. Atlanta's fractured ownership situation certainly complicates matters, and GM Billy Knight has been one of the league's most reluctant deal-makers since he's come to Atlanta.
To pull off a deal for the Answer, Atlanta would need to include Josh Smith or Marvin Williams at a minimum. My guess is that Philly would prefer Smith since he'll be able to contribute immediately and will provide some of the crowd-pleasing moments that would make up for Iverson's loss. Josh Childress makes a nice sweetener who can fortify a lackluster second unit, while Tyronn Lue is the easiest part of the puzzle -- Atlanta wouldn't need an extra point guard, the Sixers would, and Speedy Claxton can't be traded until December 15.
The other benefit of this deal is it would give the Sixers a huge trade exception that they could use until next summer, potentially giving them a leg up in free agency despite being over the cap.
The fly in the ointment here would be on the Hawks' side of the ledger. Iverson would certainly provide a short-term attendance boost -- he's one of the few visiting players who reliably packs 'em in at the moribund Philips Arena. But one has to wonder if it's wise to add a 31-year-old guard whose greatest skill (quickness) is the one that declines most rapidly with age. This is particularly true when the cost is Smith, a 20-year-old jumping jack with 3-point range, and when the team went 26-56 a year ago and appears to be years from contending for anything important.
Odds: 8-1
DENVER
Kenyon Martin and Andre Miller for Iverson
The Nuggets have a few different scenarios that might work for Philly. The most plausible involves Kenyon Martin and Andre Miller, who combine to match Iverson's salary almost perfectly. Miller would slide right into the point guard job in Philly, while Martin and Chris Webber could alternate games at power forward depending on whose knees felt better that night. (Or, more realistically, the Sixers could convey Martin to a third team with a need at power forward).
Since Martin doesn't fit well, the Sixers might make a deal work without him -- even though he's the guy the Nuggets really want to trade. Miller and Ruben Patterson's expiring contract would be enough to get a deal done, with somebody like Linas Kleiza likely throw in to give the Sixers a decent young player and keep the Nuggets under the luxury-tax line.
Denver also has two No. 1 picks next year, at least one of which it could use as a sweetener to try to get Philly to accept Martin. In the Nuggets' best-case scenario, the Sixers take Martin and Patterson, with Kleiza and a future No. 1 lumped into the mix as added incentive. Denver also might be open to a shooter like Korver getting added to the mix, with either Eduardo Najera or a signed-and-traded Reggie Evans going back to Philly.
However, just because the Nuggets could get a deal done doesn't mean they're on the phone pushing for it. One gets the sense from Denver's recent flurry of maneuvers that they've moved on to other things, and that might be for the best anyway. For all Iverson does, he's not much of an outside shooter, meaning he does nothing to address the team's most glaring need.
Odds: 15-1
BOSTON
Wally Szczerbiak, Al Jefferson, Delonte West and Dwayne Jones for Iverson
Boston has been considered the leading Iverson suitor for some time, and looking at its roster it's easy to see why. The Celtics have hordes of young players to mix and match as part of a deal depending on Philadelphia's tastes -- Gerald Green, Kendrick Perkins, Tony Allen or Ryan Gomes could replace Jefferson or West if that was whom the Sixers preferred. Plus, Boston has the benefit of two large contracts (Wally Szczerbiak's and, if they wait until late September, Theo Ratliff's) that can be used as the main building block of a deal.
Additionally, the C's wouldn't mind lightening the roster a bit. The Celtics have 14 guaranteed contracts for next season plus two undrafted players (Allan Ray and Kevin Pittsnogle) that they might prefer to keep, so making a 4-for-1 deal like this one would alleviate the overcrowding.
Another variant would add Philly's Kyle Korver and Boston's Brian Scalabrine to the mix, because the scenario above doesn't provide Philly with much cap relief. Allowing Philadelphia to dump Korver's contract on Boston in return for the even-more-useless but slightly-less well-compensated Scalabrine would give the Sixers more cap relief than the above scenario affords. Boston could even take things a step further and add Ratliff on the Boston side and Dalembert on Philly's, but it's unlikely that the Sixers would accept such a glaring difference in talent just to drop the final years of Dalembert's contract.
Odds: 5-1
Discuss.