"Iverson Deals We Want to See"-Hoopsworld

[JB]

Gutierrez: Iverson Deals We Want to See

By Israel Gutierrez
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Dec 9, 2006, 15:57



As we've been told over and over and over and, wait... yes, over  
again, Allen Iverson is on his way out of Philadelphia.

Where is the $18.2 million man headed? Let's see what makes sense  
from all perspectives:

The best trade for the Philadelphia 76ers: Iverson to the Clippers  
for Shaun Livingston, Corey Maggette and either Cuttino Mobley or Tim  
Thomas.

The reason this one would be so appealing to the Sixers is  
Livingston, the silky 6-7 point guard who is still improving and is  
only 22 years old. He's the anti-Iverson in that he won't dominate  
the basketball and will get his teammates involved, and the Sixers  
still have some players remaining for Livingston to get the ball to.

Maggette is young enough (27) to remain intriguing. As long as he can  
stay healthy he is going to constantly attack the basket and get to  
the foul line for easy points. He's also athletic and can run the  
floor with the best of them.

Mobley or Thomas would only be necessary to make the deal work  
financially, but Mobley is a Philadelphia native who is still  
productive, while Thomas attended Villanova and spent his first two  
seasons in Philly.

The 76ers might need a draft pick tossed in (maybe a 2008 pick to  
coincide with the eventual departure of Chris Webber) and would have  
to be convinced that the core of Livingston, Maggette, Andre  
Iguodala, Kyle Korver, Samuel Dalembert and Willie Green is good  
enough to compete in the Eastern Conference while they look for a big  
man in the next two drafts. At the very least the Sixers will have  
plenty of attractive swingmen to move elsewhere and complete their  
team with different parts.

The best trade for Allen Iverson: Iverson to the Grizzlies for Eddie  
Jones, Dahntay Jones and as many first-round picks it takes to  
complete the deal.

As unattractive as it would seem for Iverson to play for a smaller- 
market franchise like the Grizzlies, there are a couple reasons in  
particular this would be the best fit for him.

First, the supporting cast fits with Iverson's game. When he  
eventually gets healthy, Pau Gasol will be a steady post presence  
who's not past his prime like Webber, but who is also not so dominant  
that he will require the ball every time down the court. Gasol can be  
known for being passive at times (read: soft), and Iverson can be the  
heart and toughness needed to complement the Spanish big man. And  
around the two of them are enough athletes like Hakim Warrick and  
Rudy Gay to attack the boards for any misses Iverson scatters, and  
enough shooters like Mike Miller and Chucky Atkins to make defenses  
pay for collapsing on Iverson or Gasol.

Then there's the coach. Fratello, despite constant suggestions that  
he may be fired, is still a respected coach who will emphasize  
defense and not let Iverson walk all over him the way some believe  
Maurice Cheeks allowed. It would seem like an odd marriage, but who  
thought Larry Brown would end up being the best fit for Iverson either?

The problem here lies with the team's potential ownership transition,  
which is likely keeping the Grizzlies from making any moves until  
it's decided.

The best trade for basketball fans: Iverson to the Timberwolves for  
Randy Foye, Ricky Davis, Mike James and a first-round draft pick.

Who doesn't want to see a pair of former MVPs in Iverson and Kevin  
Garnett team up and make life easier for each other and make a  
playoff team out of Minnesota again?

Garnett deserves a move like this, as he has not-so-subtly suggested  
with his recent criticisms of the Minnesota front office. And Iverson  
would help mute those "why isn't Garnett more aggressive in crunch  
time?" questions by being his usual self in crunch time and taking over.

Garnett, meanwhile, can remain the player who looks to do the right  
thing and lead with his emotions.

The Timberwolves shouldn't be reluctant to give up Foye, who was  
touted as a Dwyane Wade-type player coming out of the draft but has  
had two months to prove it and still hasn't (it took Wade one  
training camp to prove he was the real deal). And Philadelphia should  
jump all over bringing in a 'Nova favorite.

Any mid-first-round draft pick the Sixers get out of this deal would  
be valuable because the 2007 draft is expected to be one of the  
deepest in recent memory.

A trade that also makes sense: Iverson to the Celtics for Wally  
Szczerbiak, Delonte West, Sebastian Telfair, Tony Allen and a first- 
round pick.

Isn't this why Danny Ainge collected all these chips, to deal them  
back out for a second franchise player to team with Paul Pierce? None  
of the players listed have such a high ceiling that would make  
parting with them difficult, and it still leaves behind enough talent  
to make an Eastern Conference power out of the Celtics.

The 76ers would have to take on Szczerbiak's contract, which has two  
years and $25 million left after this season and would probably kill  
the deal from their perspective, but the other three are inexpensive  
talents that can fit in nicely.

A trade that makes no sense at all: Iverson to the Nuggets for Andre  
Miller, Marcus Camby and a first-round draft pick.

Carmelo Anthony and Iverson can't possibly work together. Iverson and  
Pierce is even hard to picture, but at least Pierce is more of a  
veteran, while Anthony is still looking to make his mark in the league.

Plus, what exactly is appealing to the Sixers about an injury-prone  
center and a draft pick that will likely be near the bottom of the  
first round? There's a reason this trade was reportedly offered and  
turned down well before Iverson demanded a move.