As I mentioned in my blog bio, my interest in the NBA is almost non-existent. Admittedly, that could change if the Minnesota Timberwolves put together a club which actually had a chance to win it all.
Something like this would certainly pique my interest!
Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers appear headed toward a bitter parting.
Iverson is talking about bolting Philly -- and the Sixers might finally be ready to show their franchise player the door.
"We're going to trade him," Sixers chairman Ed Snider said Friday night.
"At a certain point, you have to come to grips with the fact that it's not working. He wants out and we're ready to accommodate him."
The possibility of Iverson being traded to Minnesota boosted Kevin Garnett's spirits just minutes after a big win over Utah.
"Bring it on, I love 'The Answer," Garnett said. "We welcome A.I. with open arms. Where's Kevin McHale?"
McHale, vice president of basketball operations, would not comment on rumors that Iverson would end up in Minnesota. But his star player went so far as to look into a local television camera and make a plea to Iverson.
"Come on, boy," Garnett said. "I can't think of anyone who wouldn't want to play with him."
The question is what will the Sixers ask in return for Iverson? He is currently 31-years old, which would seem to indicate that his best days are behind him. However, he is averaging over 31 points per game, which is the most when comparing him to other NBA point guards. That would seem to command a pretty high price. But I do think it is very telling that Philadelphia has no posture whatsoever. It has been made quite clear that both Iverson and the Sixers want to part ways. That would seem to indicate a strong buyer’s market when it comes to potential suitors.
Given that Garnett is also a thirtysomething, the sense of urgency is palpable when it comes to winning a championship. Even though Garnett has been one of the top NBA all-stars throughout his career, he has never been much of a 4th quarter “go-to” guy. That is where a Garnett-Iverson tandem would be most beneficial since A.I. has never been shy about taking any shots at any point of the game.
A bigger question is, what do the Wolves have to offer? They seem to have put together a nice core of young players like Rashad McCants, Randy Foye and Craig Smith. Would it be worth mortgaging the future for maybe an above average chance at wining a title? Best case scenario is that the Sixers are so desperate to sever ties with Iverson that they would be willing to take on dead weight like Troy Hudson, Trenton Hassell and Marko Jaric. Combine that with the fact that the Target Center has only been 70-75% capacity during Wolves home games this season.
A trade for Iverson might be good for basketball but for sure it would be great for ticket revenue!
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