The Allen Iverson update
Allen Iverson will not be traded in the next few hours, but the Sixers -- for the first time in years -- admit they can't rule out the possibility down the road.
That's because Philly is a team on the decline, badly in need of a makeover but saddled with several highly paid veterans who are virtually impossible to trade ... veterans who wouldn't fetch much in return if the Sixers could move them. As a result, it's difficult to envision how Iverson's bosses will ever put the pieces around him that will restore Philly as an NBA Finals contender.
That inevitably leads to the idea that Iverson, the Sixers' only asset with significant value, should be traded so the franchise can start over. Teams that are struggling financially, like Atlanta or Orlando, would relish the opportunity to acquire one of the few stars in sports who attracts a sellout crowd wherever he goes. Iverson for Tracy McGrady? Iverson to the Hawks in a three-way deal that also features 'Sheed, a Philadelphia native? Such trades are bound to be discussed this summer.
Of course, the problem with trading Iverson is that star power that fills the seats -- AI keeps Philly in the black no matter how the team looks on the court. And if it's not contending for a championship, an NBA team's next objective is making money.
So ...
The quandary Philly faces is this: If they don't trade Iverson soon, the Sixers might be stuck with him forever, well into Iverson's 30s. That's when the beating he takes will inevitably take its toll. But if they do trade Iverson, the trade had better make the Sixers better immediately. Because if Iverson ain't there, winning is the only thing that will keep the fans coming to The House The Answer Built.
ESPN.com
