Allen Iverson was traded today to the Detroit Pistons today for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, and Chiekh Sambh, via TrueHoop with my comments below:Allen Iverson, a Piston. And that's just one of the major assets Joe Dumars is acquiring today. The other is the inside track on "The Summer of LeBron." As you have probably seen, reports are that the Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons have agreed to a blockbuster trade, and one of the most beloved players in the NBA will be on the move again. The reported trade that would send superstar guard Allen Iverson to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for two former Nuggets: guard Chauncey Billups and forward-center Antonio McDyess, as well as center Cheikh Samb.
The move will solve an essential basketball problem for the Nuggets -- who have been in need of a top-flight point guard to faciliate scorers like Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith. The veteran Billups, a champion with Detroit in 2004, fits the bill nicely, and this season will make less money than Iverson, who is one of the best paid players in the NBA. The Nuggets will also be able to make good use of Iverson's 1,500 or so shots per season, which may help the team develop a more successful and cost-effective team around Carmelo Anthony.
The Nuggets, burdened with a luxury tax payroll to go with a cut-rate winning percentage, have recently showed signs of reducing costs. This off-season, Denver shipped starting center Marcus Camby to the Clippers merely for the right to swap second-round picks. The bad economy was cited as a reason not to extend the contract of productive forward Linas Kleiza. Iverson is one of the NBA's highest paid players, making more than $20 million this season. McDyess has been an effective big man for the Pistons, averaging nine points and nine rebounds last season in thirty minutes per game. However, he has endured several serious leg injuries, and has been playing in the NBA since 1995. Great as he is, the Nuggets are on a different schedule. It may make sense for the Nuggets -- with several forwards under contract -- to buy out McDyess as a cost-cutting move.
The Pistons add up-tempo Iverson -- in a contract year -- when he will be eager to prove that it was no fluke he made it to the Finals in 2001. That's just an hors d'oeuvre. Down, the road the Pistons becomes the driving force of big-time free agency as soon as Iverson's contract comes off the books next summer. The Pistons will combine a winning environment, one of the most respected general managers in the game, and -- depending on salary cap levels that are yet to be set, and extensions that may yet be given to existing Pistons -- likely enough cap space to sign two free agent players to max contracts over the next summers of 2009 and 2010.
Feast your eyes on this list of players who will be available. 2010 free agents include LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Ray Allen, Tyson Chandler, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Joe Johnson, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Redd.
The two that jump out to me are, of course, Chris Bosh and LeBron James. They played together nicely on Team USA, and now Dumars can at least entertain the notion of signing not one of those two, but both. A team that suspects one of those players might leave via free agency in 2010 might be compelled to realize some value for the player by dealing with a team under the cap like the Pistons in the summer of 2009. (The NBA's rules about matching up salaries in trades only apply to teams that are over the salary cap. Once Iverson's big contract is off the books next summer, the Pistons will be able to deal freely.) Today Joe Dumars has parlayed a 32-year-old point guard into a rental of Allen Iverson, and the bedrock players of the Pistons' long-term future. While there is significant risk -- the Pistons with Billups were contenders this year, and they make take a step back -- this may well come to be seen as the greatest move yet from one of the NBA's sharpest general managers.
So clearly for Detroit this trade is mostly about 2010 when Lebron, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, and Amare Stoudemire among others will become free agents. They probably still think they can win with Allen Iverson this season, but I really don't see that happening. Iverson is not a true point guard and if they do slide him over to the shooting guard spot and don't think bringing Richard Hamilton off the bench in favor of Rodney Stuckey at the point will solve any of their problems. For one, I don't think Stuckey is much of a natural PG either and I don't think putting your second best scorer on the bench is going to help the team much either. They also lose some defense at the point with out Billups, who was able to defend some of the better point guards in the game because of his solid build. I think they will miss the leadership of Billups as well. In the end, at best I see this as a wash for Detroit this season, but it should pay off for them in 2010 if they are able to sign one of the elite players on the free agent market.
For the Nuggets, I think the trade to acquire Billups will help them out this season. J.R. Smith should be able to help fill the void of Iverson's offense and Billups is a clear upgrade at PG over Anthony Carter and Chucky Atkins. It also gives the Nuggets a bigger backcourt, which should help them defensively. The other big part of this trade is that Antonio McDyess is going to become a free agent now after the Nuggets buy out his contract. McDyess should be a hot commodity among the top tier teams in the NBA and I would expect him to sign with a team like New Orleans, San Antonio, Boston, Orlando, etc. or I believe he could pull a Brent Barry and sit out for a month and then return to the Pistons. Should be interesting to see where he ends up.
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The two that jump out to me are, of course, Chris Bosh and LeBron James. They played together nicely on Team USA, and now Dumars can at least entertain the notion of signing not one of those two, but both. A team that suspects one of those players might leave via free agency in 2010 might be compelled to realize some value for the player by dealing with a team under the cap like the Pistons in the summer of 2009. (The NBA's rules about matching up salaries in trades only apply to teams that are over the salary cap. Once Iverson's big contract is off the books next summer, the Pistons will be able to deal freely.) Today Joe Dumars has parlayed a 32-year-old point guard into a rental of Allen Iverson, and the bedrock players of the Pistons' long-term future. While there is significant risk -- the Pistons with Billups were contenders this year, and they make take a step back -- this may well come to be seen as the greatest move yet from one of the NBA's sharpest general managers.
So clearly for Detroit this trade is mostly about 2010 when Lebron, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, and Amare Stoudemire among others will become free agents. They probably still think they can win with Allen Iverson this season, but I really don't see that happening. Iverson is not a true point guard and if they do slide him over to the shooting guard spot and don't think bringing Richard Hamilton off the bench in favor of Rodney Stuckey at the point will solve any of their problems. For one, I don't think Stuckey is much of a natural PG either and I don't think putting your second best scorer on the bench is going to help the team much either. They also lose some defense at the point with out Billups, who was able to defend some of the better point guards in the game because of his solid build. I think they will miss the leadership of Billups as well. In the end, at best I see this as a wash for Detroit this season, but it should pay off for them in 2010 if they are able to sign one of the elite players on the free agent market.
For the Nuggets, I think the trade to acquire Billups will help them out this season. J.R. Smith should be able to help fill the void of Iverson's offense and Billups is a clear upgrade at PG over Anthony Carter and Chucky Atkins. It also gives the Nuggets a bigger backcourt, which should help them defensively. The other big part of this trade is that Antonio McDyess is going to become a free agent now after the Nuggets buy out his contract. McDyess should be a hot commodity among the top tier teams in the NBA and I would expect him to sign with a team like New Orleans, San Antonio, Boston, Orlando, etc. or I believe he could pull a Brent Barry and sit out for a month and then return to the Pistons. Should be interesting to see where he ends up.
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