The answer to trade rumor blahs
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford
Thursday, February 12
The NBA trade deadline is now a week away. Usually that's an occasion for trade- and rumor-mongers everywhere to celebrate. Usually the biggest trade rumors are running rampant right about now ... but this year? Everyone has already been traded.
With Rasheed Wallace, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Theo Ratliff changing addresses on Monday, it's time to ask the inevitable question ... is there anyone worthwhile left to trade? Well, there's at least one.
Allen Iverson's name is now being tossed around the rumor mill after Sixers GM Billy King admitted AI no longer was untouchable in the aftermath of the Randy Ayers firing Monday.
Allen Iverson
Shooting Guard
Philadelphia 76ers
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM
PPG
RPG
APG
FG%
FT%
39
27.4
3.9
6.3
.395
.751
"Everybody at some point in their career has to be available," King told the Delaware News Journal. "Obviously, it would take a high-quality player to move someone like Allen. But I've got to do what's best for the franchise."
The problem, as one GM sees it, is King will never get Sixers chairman Ed Snider to agree to an Iverson trade. If King keeps insisting on it, Snider will just fire King and bring in someone else to clean up the mess.
"Billy thinks that he's got to move Allen if he's going to rebuild this team," one GM told Insider. "But he can't get ownership to sign off on it. So far they don't want to hear it. Allen puts people in the seats every night. Who are they going to get to replace him. If Iverson's gone, the Sixers have no stars left. They'll be bad, and the arena will be empty. At least this way, people are still coming to watch him play."
Eric Snow
Point Guard
Philadelphia 76ers
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM
PPG
RPG
APG
FG%
FT%
53
10.6
3.5
7.0
.405
.790
Instead, the Sixers have tried everything in their power to move Eric Snow, Aaron McKie and Glenn Robinson. The only two players King doesn't want to move are Kenny Thomas and Samuel Dalembert, another GM told Insider. However, if the right deal came along, even Dalembert could be had.
So far, no such deals have come along.
Who are the Sixers going to get to play alongside Iverson? Every guy they've brought into Philly as a second option to Iverson has failed. Is there really someone out there worth the trouble? Doubt it.
More likely, King is looking for cap room in 2005. Getting Snow and McKie's contracts off the books now would help get them there, but it won't be enough. King still needs to get Todd MacCulloch to retire and move either Derrick Coleman or Marc Jackson, as well, before the Sixers would have substantial cap room.
Talk about a mess. "They may have the worst cap situation of any team in the league," another league executive said. "It's brutal. They should've never signed Thomas to that big deal and given Snow, Iverson and Coleman those extensions. That locked them in for good with a team only Larry Brown knew how to coach. If they're determined to keep Iverson, they're screwed."
Well ... screwed is a harsh word. Filling the building every night, even when your team is losing, is something, at least. And considering that no one yet has offered a viable alternative to AI in Philly ... you can't blame Snider for wanting to keep AI and cover his losses.
Around the league
Erick Dampier
Center
Golden State Warriors
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM
PPG
RPG
APG
FG%
FT%
51
11.9
11.6
0.7
.517
.636
Word is the Warriors are still trying to figure ways to kick Nick Van Exel to the curb. The bait, as it was a few weeks ago, is Erick Dampier. The problem is, there isn't another team out there with the type of expiring contracts or cap room the Warriors are looking for.
The closest could be the Celtics, who are trying to combine the expiring contracts of Chris Mills ($6.6 million) and Chris Mihm ($2.8) to convince someone to make a deal. That's enough to get Damp, but why would the Warriors give him up without also getting rid of Van Exel? Then again, this is the Warriors we're talking about.
The Grizzlies have interest, but they would have to send half their team to Golden State to make a deal work. Are Van Exel and Damp, even in Hubie Brown's great system, really worth what it would take to get them? Concerns about Van Exel's attitude and Dampier's knees say no.
If neither Dampier or Iverson go anywhere, where does that leave us? Probably with an active trade deadline filled with much smaller deals. Who has the best chances of being moved? Juwan Howard, Marcus Fizer, Melvin Ely, Corliss Williamson, Michael Doleac and some wacky combination of low-level Raptors players. Wake me up when it's over.
Here's the latest on the developing Vin Baker situation in Boston. Baker's agent, Aaron Goodwin, keeps claiming Vin is able to play, but the Celtics claim they've had no contact with him. Baker missed his 10th consecutive game, which means the team can now attempt to void the remaining two years on his contract. With Baker due nearly $30 million over the next two seasons, a lot is at stake for both parties. While dumping Baker and his contract would save a lot of money, it really doesn't get the Celtics that far under the cap. A lower payroll and roster flexibility will be nice. But that's about all they'll see until the summer of 2006.
What's up with the Knicks? According to the New York press, Isiah Thomas is involved in every deal, ever discussed, in the history of the NBA. Every single one.
Steve Francis
Point Guard
Houston Rockets
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM
PPG
RPG
APG
FG%
FT%
51
16.9
5.5
5.9
.403
.765
Apologies are in order to the record number of readers who wrote in the past two days furious at the three-way trade proposal floated by Insider that would've sent Steve Francis, Eric Piatkowski, Glenn Robinson and Aaron McKie to Portland; Eric Snow, Zach Randolph, Qyntel Woods and Ruben Patterson to Houston and Dale Davis and Damon Stoudamire to Philly.
Here's what Insider has learned ...
Houston fans are outraged because Francis is still the franchise, and they don't want to replace him with an overpaid, low-scoring point guard or an overweight, lazy-defending, teammate-punching power forward.
Portland fans are livid because Randolph is the franchise, and they don't want to replace him with an overpaid, poor-shooting point guard who skips practice for the Super Bowl, a Big Dog with a big mouth who flopped with a similar supporting cast in Atlanta, and an aging role player with a big, fat contract.
Philly fans are angry because Snow is the best thing that ever happened to Iverson; McKie, I'm told, is the ultimate sixth man (huh?); and hanging on to Robinson, despite the ugliness, is still preferable to getting two guys they really hate in return. Interestingly Philly fans also are angry because King never makes any moves, and they really think he should find a way to dump the contracts of Snow and McKie -- just not for two guys from the Blazers who both happen to have expiring deals in 2005.
We really should talk more.
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford
Thursday, February 12
The NBA trade deadline is now a week away. Usually that's an occasion for trade- and rumor-mongers everywhere to celebrate. Usually the biggest trade rumors are running rampant right about now ... but this year? Everyone has already been traded.
With Rasheed Wallace, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Theo Ratliff changing addresses on Monday, it's time to ask the inevitable question ... is there anyone worthwhile left to trade? Well, there's at least one.
Allen Iverson's name is now being tossed around the rumor mill after Sixers GM Billy King admitted AI no longer was untouchable in the aftermath of the Randy Ayers firing Monday.
Allen Iverson
Shooting Guard
Philadelphia 76ers
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM
PPG
RPG
APG
FG%
FT%
39
27.4
3.9
6.3
.395
.751
"Everybody at some point in their career has to be available," King told the Delaware News Journal. "Obviously, it would take a high-quality player to move someone like Allen. But I've got to do what's best for the franchise."
The problem, as one GM sees it, is King will never get Sixers chairman Ed Snider to agree to an Iverson trade. If King keeps insisting on it, Snider will just fire King and bring in someone else to clean up the mess.
"Billy thinks that he's got to move Allen if he's going to rebuild this team," one GM told Insider. "But he can't get ownership to sign off on it. So far they don't want to hear it. Allen puts people in the seats every night. Who are they going to get to replace him. If Iverson's gone, the Sixers have no stars left. They'll be bad, and the arena will be empty. At least this way, people are still coming to watch him play."
Eric Snow
Point Guard
Philadelphia 76ers
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM
PPG
RPG
APG
FG%
FT%
53
10.6
3.5
7.0
.405
.790
Instead, the Sixers have tried everything in their power to move Eric Snow, Aaron McKie and Glenn Robinson. The only two players King doesn't want to move are Kenny Thomas and Samuel Dalembert, another GM told Insider. However, if the right deal came along, even Dalembert could be had.
So far, no such deals have come along.
Who are the Sixers going to get to play alongside Iverson? Every guy they've brought into Philly as a second option to Iverson has failed. Is there really someone out there worth the trouble? Doubt it.
More likely, King is looking for cap room in 2005. Getting Snow and McKie's contracts off the books now would help get them there, but it won't be enough. King still needs to get Todd MacCulloch to retire and move either Derrick Coleman or Marc Jackson, as well, before the Sixers would have substantial cap room.
Talk about a mess. "They may have the worst cap situation of any team in the league," another league executive said. "It's brutal. They should've never signed Thomas to that big deal and given Snow, Iverson and Coleman those extensions. That locked them in for good with a team only Larry Brown knew how to coach. If they're determined to keep Iverson, they're screwed."
Well ... screwed is a harsh word. Filling the building every night, even when your team is losing, is something, at least. And considering that no one yet has offered a viable alternative to AI in Philly ... you can't blame Snider for wanting to keep AI and cover his losses.
Around the league
Erick Dampier
Center
Golden State Warriors
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM
PPG
RPG
APG
FG%
FT%
51
11.9
11.6
0.7
.517
.636
Word is the Warriors are still trying to figure ways to kick Nick Van Exel to the curb. The bait, as it was a few weeks ago, is Erick Dampier. The problem is, there isn't another team out there with the type of expiring contracts or cap room the Warriors are looking for.
The closest could be the Celtics, who are trying to combine the expiring contracts of Chris Mills ($6.6 million) and Chris Mihm ($2.8) to convince someone to make a deal. That's enough to get Damp, but why would the Warriors give him up without also getting rid of Van Exel? Then again, this is the Warriors we're talking about.
The Grizzlies have interest, but they would have to send half their team to Golden State to make a deal work. Are Van Exel and Damp, even in Hubie Brown's great system, really worth what it would take to get them? Concerns about Van Exel's attitude and Dampier's knees say no.
If neither Dampier or Iverson go anywhere, where does that leave us? Probably with an active trade deadline filled with much smaller deals. Who has the best chances of being moved? Juwan Howard, Marcus Fizer, Melvin Ely, Corliss Williamson, Michael Doleac and some wacky combination of low-level Raptors players. Wake me up when it's over.
Here's the latest on the developing Vin Baker situation in Boston. Baker's agent, Aaron Goodwin, keeps claiming Vin is able to play, but the Celtics claim they've had no contact with him. Baker missed his 10th consecutive game, which means the team can now attempt to void the remaining two years on his contract. With Baker due nearly $30 million over the next two seasons, a lot is at stake for both parties. While dumping Baker and his contract would save a lot of money, it really doesn't get the Celtics that far under the cap. A lower payroll and roster flexibility will be nice. But that's about all they'll see until the summer of 2006.
What's up with the Knicks? According to the New York press, Isiah Thomas is involved in every deal, ever discussed, in the history of the NBA. Every single one.
Steve Francis
Point Guard
Houston Rockets
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM
PPG
RPG
APG
FG%
FT%
51
16.9
5.5
5.9
.403
.765
Apologies are in order to the record number of readers who wrote in the past two days furious at the three-way trade proposal floated by Insider that would've sent Steve Francis, Eric Piatkowski, Glenn Robinson and Aaron McKie to Portland; Eric Snow, Zach Randolph, Qyntel Woods and Ruben Patterson to Houston and Dale Davis and Damon Stoudamire to Philly.
Here's what Insider has learned ...
Houston fans are outraged because Francis is still the franchise, and they don't want to replace him with an overpaid, low-scoring point guard or an overweight, lazy-defending, teammate-punching power forward.
Portland fans are livid because Randolph is the franchise, and they don't want to replace him with an overpaid, poor-shooting point guard who skips practice for the Super Bowl, a Big Dog with a big mouth who flopped with a similar supporting cast in Atlanta, and an aging role player with a big, fat contract.
Philly fans are angry because Snow is the best thing that ever happened to Iverson; McKie, I'm told, is the ultimate sixth man (huh?); and hanging on to Robinson, despite the ugliness, is still preferable to getting two guys they really hate in return. Interestingly Philly fans also are angry because King never makes any moves, and they really think he should find a way to dump the contracts of Snow and McKie -- just not for two guys from the Blazers who both happen to have expiring deals in 2005.
We really should talk more.
