According to an ESPN source, the Philadelphia 76ers are entertaining trade offers and want to complete a deal this week.
A source close to Iverson has told ESPN.com that Sixers brass met Sunday to go over the various trade proposals that have come in over the past few days. One or two three-team trade proposals were expected to be explored Monday, and the source said the Sixers were inclined to pull the trigger shortly thereafter — either Monday night or Tuesday.
The source indicated the Minnesota Timberwolves were not seriously in the running, and the attention being paid to Denver and Boston was being overblown.
The Celtics have the advantage of being able to add Theo Ratliff’s $11.7 million contract into the mix, while the Memphis Grizzlies would be one of the few teams able to offer Philadelphia cap relief for next summer through Eddie Jones’ expiring $15.7 million contract — if not for the inconvenient fact that team president Jerry West’s hands are tied because of the pending sale of the team, precluding him from making trades.
Dallas also could offer a package starting with two expiring contracts (Jerry Stackhouse and Austin Croshere), as could New Orleans (Desmond Mason and Mark Jackson add up to almost $13 million), while the Charlotte Bobcats are far enough under the salary cap to take back Iverson in a trade in which the salaries would not have to even come close to matching.
Another team that can’t be totally dismissed is the New York Knicks, who are in the unique position of being able to take back both Iverson and Chris Webber in a trade. Because the salaries of Iverson and Webber add up to nearly $38 million, the Knicks would have to offer at least $30.4 million worth of contracts back — a total that could be reached with a package of Steve Francis, Quentin Richardson, Malik Rose and Channing Frye.
It would be great to see AI traded to Minnesota, but it doesn’t look like the Sixers are too happy with what they’d get in return (Ricky Davis, Mike James and Randy Foye). Philly loves Devin Harris, but Mark Cuban has said that they won’t trade him. AI’s big salary (~$18 M) limits the number of teams that are able to swing such a deal. All things being equal, the Sixers want to trade him out of the conference, but they’re going to take the best deal they can get. Thankfully, it doesn’t look like it’s going to drag out like the Ron Artest did saga last season.
