Iverson Asks To Be Traded

[hawkman]

AI gets to much of a bad rap. He plays hard EVERY night and actually is more of a team player than he is given credit for. This wouldn't be another JR Rider situation. He would have an immediate impact on the team offensively and we would definitely make the playoffs for the next couple of years. We would also have the most devastating backcourt (ever???). If we are a potential trading partner with Philly though, BK needs to play hardball with them as we are already a much improved team. It wouldn't hurt to try bringing him in. Besides, his contract will be up by the time he begins to wear out his welcome in the ATL. I would balk at sending them JSmith or Childress though.

[gsuteke]

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AI gets to much of a bad rap. He plays hard EVERY night and actually is more of a team player than he is given credit for. This wouldn't be another JR Rider situation. He would have an immediate impact on the team offensively and we would definitely make the playoffs for the next couple of years. We would also have the most devastating backcourt (ever???). If we are a potential trading partner with Philly though, BK needs to play hardball with them as we are already a much improved team. It wouldn't hurt to try bringing him in. Besides, his contract will be up by the time he begins to wear out his welcome in the ATL. I would balk at sending them JSmith or Childress though.

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so in turn you have nothing to offer.

Ren/Speedy/Salim Indy 1st

Philly can't sell that to season ticket holders.

[vdunkndunk]

All things considered, I don't think trading for AI is a good idea. I'm pretty sure he really wants to come to Atlanta though...some rumors suggest that we were his top choice this summer.

So the fact that he wants to be here, plus the fact that he only has 2 more years left on his contract, plus the fact that he would bring instant credibility and insterest to the Hawks, plus a probable ticket to the playoffs...those would all be reasons why I wouldn't be too disappointed if we actually did trade for him.

But the only deal that would even be remotely pallatable to me would be Speedy, Smoove, and Lorenzon. I would NOT be willing to include JJ, Marvin, or Chill, and probably not Shedlen either.

But overall, I just don't see why we would do this. The risks and negatives just outweight the positives.

[Popeye]

I said NO to AI this summer and i am sticking with it.

HELL NOOO!

[SmooveTheFuture]

A team like the Hawks should not trade for a player that has only a few years left. Ask yourself does Allen Iverson help us win the NBA title in the next 3-4 years. The answer to that is no we need more then just Allen Iverson to win the championship. This guy would take less shots away from Joe JOhnson and if the Sixers couldnt win this guy why the heck makes you think we will. We need a real PG whose young and can develop with our team not a guy with questionable character and his good years are behind him.

[TheDude]

i'm up in the air about it myself because of what we'd have to give up but..

to me Minnesota needs to jump on this asap....poor Garnett needs help. That guy deserves another chance at a championship.

[mrhonline]

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to me Minnesota needs to jump on this asap....poor Garnett needs help. That guy deserves another chance at a championship.

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The problem is they have to send back crappy contracts to Philly. Is Foye really worth taking on Blount or Hudson's contract?

[DJlaysitup]

At least the article says that Denver is interested in him. Since I doubt the Hawks will get him, my other concern would be that he goes somewhere else in the East and makes it harder for us to compete for a playoffs spot this year. If he goes to a Western conference team - that is a plus for us.

Really though - if he were to come here and swallow his pride a bit and be more of a drive/dish/distributor type PG (false hope) - it would be a hard deal to argue with.

[SmooveTheFuture]

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At least the article says that Denver is interested in him. Since I doubt the Hawks will get him, my other concern would be that he goes somewhere else in the East and makes it harder for us to compete for a playoffs spot this year. If he goes to a Western conference team - that is a plus for us.

Really though - if he were to come here and swallow his pride a bit and be more of a drive/dish/distributor type PG (false hope) - it would be a hard deal to argue with.

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Its nice to think that way but a guy whose played the same way through his career wont change his way's with his career comning to an end in a few years. The Sixers have been waiting for years for Iverson to make the players around him better and they will keep waiting unless they trade him. If the Sixers cant win with him I dont see how we can.

[mrhonline]

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At least the article says that Denver is interested in him. Since I doubt the Hawks will get him, my other concern would be that he goes somewhere else in the East and makes it harder for us to compete for a playoffs spot this year. If he goes to a Western conference team - that is a plus for us.

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Yep, Philly is just good enough as is to eek out a playoff spot. Without Iverson, not a chance.

[DJlaysitup]

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...Its nice to think that way but a guy whose played the same way through his career wont change his way's with his career comning to an end in a few years...

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Yeah - it will be best if he goes to Denver.

[BeeSwatter]

This would be a tough decision. I wouldn't be for a deal that includes Marvin at all. No way they would do a deal though in my opinion for anything less than Josh Smith. Its tough because on one hand you have to respect AI's warrior mentality on the court which you would like the young players to copy but then you have to worry about the guy skipping practices and fan gatherings and the lot. Which is something you don't want your young guys doing. It would be interesting to see how it would effect JJ.

[mrhonline]

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It would be interesting to see how it would effect JJ.

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I think JJ would be fine. My question would be how willing would Iverson be to get the young players involved.

(I was thinking to myself about who would be the best complement to Iverson. I can't think of anyone better than JJ. He's unselfish, a good passer, and a good enough shooter to take the heat off AI. If I had to ask myself the best complement to JJ, AI would NOT be the answer).

[BeeSwatter]

Yeah like I said it is a tough decision. The only trade I would consider probably was the Speedy, LO, Smith deal that was mentioned earlier. Even then I would be torn.

[Swatguy]

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how would Billy absorb AI's salary?

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Kudos for forcing this issue.

First, Iverson makes $18.2M this year. The Hawks have somewhere around $7M in cap space (have the exact figures at home, but I'm at work right now). So, they would have to send out around $11M in salaries.

The trade would HAVE TO include Claxton. That leaves you with around $4.5M to go. You have Lo Wright's $3M. That leaves around $1.5M. You are then obligated to give them a young player of some talent and potential. They would want Josh Smith. They would also likely want the Indy pick.

So, the deal would have to be:

Speedy Claxton

Lorenzen Wright

Josh Smith

Indiana's 1st (top 10 protected)

Iverson/JJ/Marvin/Shelden/Pachulia

with Lue/Salim/Childress/Batista/Jones off the bench. The Hawks would then have two open rosters spots to get another backup big man. Marvin would have to play some PF as well.

The Sixers would lineup Claxton/Iggy/Smith/Webber/Dalembert with Green/Korver/Carney/Wright/Hunter off the bench. They would also have two picks in a deep draft.

(Iverson's deal is for three years. The only young player the Hawks would have to re-sign within that time frame is Josh Childress. That should be feasible).

If the Hawks' ownership is willing/able to spend the money, it's not an impossible trade proposal. And you have to admit that the Hawks would then have the best backcourt in the NBA. They would also have the weakest bench. (Still, that's what the MLE is for).

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Change the 1st rounder to a second rounder or '08s 1st rounder and you have a deal.

Iverson brings the conference championship THIS YEAR. One question for surity, would AI be willing to play point? Willing to submit to Woody raising the level of Marvin, Shelden and Chillz.

Without a doubt AI, JJ and Marvin will be the most dangerous offensive trio in the league. Ai is also a Primier, superior defender. Moving Lo is feasible with the ascend of Solomon. Smoove is palable because of Shelden and Marvin.

I say save the 1st rounder in '07 and make the trade now in a hurry.

[Dejay]

If the price is right, I'd be all over this as well, JB. There's a difference between putting 19,000+ in the building when you have to use the star power of the opposing team (see Heat, Cavaliers) or stage postgame concerts with TI (see Sonics) and having 13-15,000 show up when the Bobcats come rolling in.

With Iverson, the Hawks would instantly get the national publicity (which translates into $$$ if played right) they've been lacking since Nique, Doc, Tree, and Co. were in Hawk gear. We wouldn't be reading anymore Chris Paul comments from the experts anymore, that's for sure. They would also have arguably the best backcourt in the East, if not the league. With football season winding down (one Falcon loss would cement it as being over), you have the potential to own the town (well, share with the Thrashers anyway).

The Hawks would have to play hardball and not give up more than one young player, though. Anything more (filler notwithstanding) would be a little much IMHO.

[AHF]

Great breakdown from a salary perspective mrHonline (as usual). This is an interesting situation for Atlanta if Philly is willing to do that deal. Iverson makes me very nervous because of his issues dominating the ball and his age/size. That would keep me from pulling the trigger if I was the GM along with my fondness for Josh Smith. However, the notion of an AI/JJ backcourt is tantalizing. (Again, not enough for me to pull the trigger but if it happened I would not be as turned off by the idea as if we dealt Josh Smith for someone like Ilgauskas or the PF from Portland whose name I am blanking on for some reason.)

[Dejay]

If Billy King agrees to that, it would take me about 0.000042 seconds to rush the transaction to the league office before some other team catches wind and makes it a bidding war. Of course, Billy King would probably have his house set on fire and have to enroll his family under the federal witness protection program to keep the crazies up in Philly from putting out an APB on him.

BTW, great job on the sig...

[Diesel]

On the one hand...

You bring him in ... He kills chemistry.

On the other...

If Speedy is going to be injured for the next 4 years.. If there's no plans to resign Chillz... and if we can find a third contract about 3 million or more than we don't mind moving, that's very little to give for a guy that will:

1. Help you defense.

2. fill up the seats nightly, daily.

I don't know.

Especially when you consider that JJ is babysitting alone.

[Lascar78]

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The Hawks would replace the Falcons as the #1 ticket. We'd easily win the East.

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Are you out of your mind man? Win the east? Do you guys not remember that he didn't make the playoffs last year? Do you not see that with one more loss they have the worst record in the entire league. We've been over this before. Our management won't even consider this and he wouldn't help us win much at all. The last thing we need to help our youth develop is a ballhog.