| Where A.I. Could Go Authored by David Mintz - May 3, 2006 - 6:54 am
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That being said, it is doubtful that Iverson finishes very high in the MVP voting. The 38-44 record for the Sixers would be the reason for that.
Because of their mediocre finish and lack of direction, the Sixers could explore trade opportunities this offseason for the 6’0” 165 pound all-star. With the passing of each season, the 30-year old Iverson gets older and his trade value drops.
If Iverson gets traded this offseason, most Sixer fans would like to get an all-star caliber player or at least some younger talented players in return. However, the demand for Iverson might not be as great as it would seem.
First of all, the Sixers are unlikely to trade Iverson to a team in the Eastern Conference. By trading Iverson to the Western Conference, they would only have to play against Iverson twice a season and Iverson cannot help that team knock the Sixers out of the playoffs.
One division in the west that Iverson will not be traded to is the Pacific division. The Suns would not give up soon-to-be two-time MVP Steve Nash for Iverson. The Sixers could find other talent on the Suns to trade for, but a Nash-Iverson backcourt would be abused on the defensive end. The Clippers are not thrilled with SG Corey Maggette’s style of play, and Iverson plays a similar style. The Lakers will not trade Kobe Bryant for Iverson at this point, and don’t have enough other talent to offer Philadelphia. Sacramento does not need one of Iverson’s greatest attributes, the ability to sell out an arena. The Kings have sold out all of their home games since 1999. The Warriors are the most intriguing suitor for Iverson, but there are similar problems to the Phoenix scenario. Iverson and Davis could get exploited as a backcourt tandem. The Sixers might not want the oft-injured Davis in return for Iverson.
Teams out west that could be interesting in Iverson are Dallas, Houston, Memphis and Minnesota. Any trade with Minnesota would have to involve Kevin Garnett, and any trade with Houston would have to involve Tracy McGrady. The Sixers would be more interested in Garnett, who has not had the history of injuries that McGrady has. Teams like New Orleans, Utah, and San Antonio are improbable suitors for Iverson considering the systems they run. Seattle or Denver could offer some interesting trades.
The one scenario in the Eastern Conference that made sense this year was the Iverson for Paul Pierce trade with the Celtics. However, Boston may not want to trade their younger, taller player to a division rival.
Iverson would fit best on a team like Memphis, which clearly lacked a dependable fourth quarter scorer and lacked Iverson’s intensity. A trade such as Iverson, C Samuel Dalembert, and PG Kevin Ollie for PG Damon Stoudamire, SG Eddie Jones, SF Shane Battier, PF Brian Cardinal, and a couple draft picks would make sense for both teams. Stoudamire and Battier could fill voids in the Sixers’ starting lineup while Jones and Cardinal could help improve the worst bench in the NBA. Iverson would be an upgrade over Jones and would give Memphis what it needs to not only win its first playoff game, but also its first playoff series.
David Mintz may be contacted via email at sixerdave@yahoo.com. |
