<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The 76ers trading Allen Iverson? Doesn't sound that way at all. "I fully expect Allen will be suiting up with us next season," Sixers president/general manager Billy King told the Daily News this afternoon. "Allen and I have talked about it, and he wants to be here and is excited to be playing for us." King said he is "still working the phones, talking to people [about prospective deals]." "We're trying to do what's best to make us a better ballclub," he said. "That's not including Allen in our discussions." Iverson has spent his entire 10-season career with the Sixers. He is a four-time NBA scoring champion and was the league?s Most Valuable Player in 2000-01.</div> -from philly.com Take it for what its worth, knowing King he could be saying this just to throw other teams off or something.
Man oh man, I know CK will LOVE this news. Personally I'm happy to see AI may POTENTIALLY not be moved. But at the same time I thing King will still look to move him. What I think he is doing, is that he will NOT market AI any longer but if any sort of proposals are throw at him, he will MOST DEF look at it, and if in fact it's somewhat of an equal value he will pull the trigger. He's just not try to look desperate to move AI because seeming desperate makes it look like there is REALLY something wrong with having AI on your team and it somewhat brings his value down.
To me this is more of a move to raise AI’s stock than anything by King. How are you going to say you fully expect someone to suite up for you, then go on to say your still courting offers. It’s a complete and utter contradiction by King. I hope he is not traded at this point. From what Webber and Iverson have been saying, it sounds like they could get it done next season who knows though.
Its saying he is still wheelin and dealing trying to make the sixers better but not trading iverson. There is no contradiction if you read it correctly. I would love to keep AI here, this is where he belongs and the city loves him. If anything move some trash and/or Webber. Oh and we should have got something for Salmons. That was a F#@k up on BK's part.
What would you expect King to say? Nobody, even Billy King, is stupid enough to tell the guy he'll definitely be traded. And you know what, if Billy King keeps Iverson he better make some blockbuster move that involves Sam or C-Webb or nobody is going to the game. People aren't buying season tickets, so this may have been just to increase ticket sales. It's better for Iverson and the 76ers for him to be traded. Who knows what Billy King is thinking, but one thing is for sure that he will get fired by the end of next season. Maybe he's trying to get fired or land Greg Oden?
Ck is trying to say that by keeping AI, we will be a terrible team, therefore landing the number 1 pick.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting C.K.:</div><div class="quote_post"> Who knows what Billy King is thinking, but one thing is for sure that he will get fired by the end of next season. Maybe he's trying to get fired or land Greg Oden?</div> We have a way better chance of landing Oden if we trade AI, as opposed to keeping Allen...
I think Billy King is playing mind games. By saying AI will remain a Sixer next year, he is showing other teams that he isn't desperate to trade away AI, and in order to pry him away, they will have to offer better deals.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Best Kept Secret:</div><div class="quote_post">We have a way better chance of landing Oden if we trade AI, as opposed to keeping Allen...</div> My point was that this team is going to be bad this year regardless. Everything about this team is mediocre. We'll have another mediocre season. Then we'll land another mediocre draft pick to pick yet another mediocre player. One thing is for sure and that is you don't get better in the NBA without suffering a few bad seasons. Teams are either built through the draft (and the 76'ers don't have draft picks) or built through free agency (and the 76'ers have no cap room). So why not trade Iverson for draft picks and expiring contracts, be bad for two or three years, and then be back in the NBA Championship picture? It baffles me how Billy King can put virtually the same team on the floor and expect to win after he said at the end of the season drastic changes have to be made. Adding Rodney Carney and Bobby Jones isn't exactly what I would call drastic changes. Either Billy King is about to pull off one of the biggest blockbuster trades in the history in the NBA or he is just mocking himself everytime he talks.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting C.K.:</div><div class="quote_post">My point was that this team is going to be bad this year regardless. Everything about this team is mediocre. We'll have another mediocre season. Then we'll land another mediocre draft pick to pick yet another mediocre player. </div> Like CK said, either way we look at it, we won't be doing anything next season. I know Billy King doesn't want to rebuild, but considering AI's age, he will be forced to in a couple of years anyways. So, why not just start rebuilding now? My biggest fear is that the Sixers will make the playoffs next season, and get eliminated in the first round by 4 games. Then, we will lose our first round draft pick, which I believe goes to Golden State. We will be missing out on one of the best drafts in recent history. Considering AI's value won't grow any higher, I think now is the best time to start over. Our best option is to somehow utilize AI and C-Web, and try to win now. But like CK said, with our lone free agent acquisitions being rookies, I don't see how that's possible. I have said this before and I will say it again. Billy King has to find out which direction he wants this team to go. Does he want to rebuild? If so, then his best bet is trading away AI for shorter contracts and younger talents. Does he want to win now? If so, he has to stop being such a ***** and use the MLE.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Answer_AI03:</div><div class="quote_post">I didnt think we had a first rounder at all next year though?? isnt that right?</div> True. We traded it away for Glenn Robinson, but I think it's still top 10 protected.
Apparently when BK said he wanted to change the culture of this team, he meant changing the culture for the fans, not the team, goodness Billy! I`ll go with what Phil Jasner said. As of now, all the trades that were directed to the Sixers for AI just didn`t seem to appealing for BK`s taste. After all the rumors this summer, I`ve just came to conclusion that I still think Iverson will remain a Sixer, for the rest of his career. Which in the end, I really have no problem with.
