Sixer Trade Humor and More

Sixers enter draft week with trade rumors rife

Iverson for Carter? A deal to obtain the third pick from the Bulls? GM Billy King is not commenting.

By Joe Juliano

Inquirer Staff Writer


It's draft week in the NBA, and from the 76ers' offices to California, trade rumors are wafting over many league cities like so much smoke.

The question is, though, is there fire to go with the smoke?

Two rumors have blown into town concerning the Sixers and what they might do before Thursday's NBA draft and beyond. One, which was started locally and picked up on MSNBC.com, talked of a superstar swap between the Sixers and the Toronto Raptors, with Allen Iverson heading north in exchange for Vince Carter.

The second, appearing yesterday in the Chicago Tribune, had the Sixers packaging a deal that included center Samuel Dalembert and their first-round pick (No. 9 overall) for the Chicago Bulls' No. 3 overall selection and center Tyson Chandler.

Sixers president and general manager Billy King declined to speak about either report.

"I won't comment on trade rumors," King said yesterday.

Iverson, a former NBA scoring champion and MVP, suffered through an injury-racked season. He played his 48th and final game on March 20, missing the remainder of the season with a knee injury.

He also clashed with interim head coach Chris Ford, and speculation as the season ended centered on Iverson being traded in the off-season.

But King constantly has denied that he will trade Iverson, and new head coach Jim O'Brien declared in April, at the time of his hiring, "I want to coach Allen Iverson."

The Raptors have missed the playoffs the last two seasons and fingers are being pointed at Carter. Carter reportedly also is miffed that the team did not hire ex-Sixer Julius Erving as general manager, and has not returned telephone calls from new GM Rob Babcock.

But Babcock has said: "I want Vince Carter on this team. I think Vince Carter is a guy we can build around," which doesn't sound like a desire to trade him.

As for the rumor involving Dalembert, a pleasant surprise last season when he averaged 8.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, his agent, Marc Cornstein, said yesterday, "I don't think there's any truth to it.

"We'll see what happens down the road," he said. "But I don't know where that came from. I would be very surprised if Samuel is part of a trade."

The Tribune report pointed out that King is a former Duke player, and the likely No. 3 pick would be a Duke product - 6-7 forward Luol Deng.

Draft week begins tonight when the Charlotte Bobcats announce their expansion selections. The Sixers have left five players unprotected, believed to be guards Aaron McKie and Greg Buckner, forwards Derrick Coleman and Marc Jackson, and center Todd MacCulloch.

The real NBA draft takes place on Thursday night. The Sixers have the No. 9 pick, but that is subject to change, according to King.

"We have no idea," King said when asked if the Sixers would trade the pick. "There are so many different scenarios as we get to draft day. We've got a couple of more days and then we'll pick. Until then, we'll be talking to people." The Sixers do not have a second-round pick, and King said he didn't know yet if the Sixers would trade to obtain one.

For now, the attention is on the Bobcats. Yesterday they acquired the No. 2 draft pick from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for the fourth overall pick and the No. 33 pick. Charlotte also agreed to select Clippers center Predrag Drobnjak in the expansion draft.

The Bobcats must select a minimum of 14 players in the expansion draft, but relatively few are expected be on their opening-night roster. General manager and coach Bernie Bickerstaff has expressed a desire to build a young roster.

Notes. The Sixers will have another round of pre-draft workouts today at their practice facility, bringing in 6-11 forward Andris Biedrins of Latvia and a pair of 6-6 guards - Kirk Snyder of Nevada and J.R. Smith of St. Benedict's Prep in North Jersey. For Smith, it will be his second workout with the Sixers.

That would be a good trade.If VC can stay healthy.AI can be the most popular guy in Canada

If anyone has any trouble making up their mind, here's the comparison and career numbers for VC/AI:

Allen Iverson (Age 29): 27.0 PPG, 4 RPG and 5.7 APG on 41% shooting from the field, 3.6 TPG
Vince Carter (Age 27): 24.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 4.0 APG on 45% shooting from the field, 2.3 TPG

Salaries: Carter/Iverson

Vince vs Iverson

04-05 $12,584,688 to $14,625,000
05-06 $13,843,157 to $16,453,125
06-07 $15,101,626 to $18,281,250
07-08 $16,360,095 to (PO) $20,109,375
08-09 --- to $21,937,500

You make the call...

All I know is that Iverson comes to work everyday and he can play some defense. But Vince hasn't really convinced a lot of people (including me) since 2001. He has not lived up to expectations and he does not seem to bring it for his team every night. As for Iverson, he gives you 110% every night.

i stick with vince because i sense he has some loyalty towards toronto, and feels he owes them something for being injured all the time.

Carter for Iverson? Not so fast
Raptors' new GM denies megatrade of NBA superstars
Babcock faces mountain of work with draft looming


DOUG SMITH
SPORTS REPORTER

BUFFALO—NBA draft madness is fully upon us.

Combine a crazy Vince Carter rumour, a look at a teenage centre who may be a Raptor by the end of the week and an interview with a prospective head coach and Rob Babcock must be wondering just what he got himself into when he became Toronto's new general manager a couple of weeks ago.

With two days before the NBA draft, and the Charlotte Bobcats deciding today if they'll take Alvin Williams, Lamond Murray or Milt Palacio off Toronto's hands in the expansion draft, Babcock has a mountain of work in front of him.

The first item is downplaying a wild rumour started by a Philadelphia sports talk radio station that the Raptors and Sixers had discussed sending Carter to the 76ers for Allen Iverson.

The rumour was debunked as a "fraud" by one Philadelphia source, while Babcock said he hadn't had any specific trade talks with any team. The suggested deal was removed from one of the many Web sites reporting it by early last night.

That fire extinguished, Babcock worked out a handful of draft prospects here yesterday afternoon.

He then raced back to Toronto to interview Detroit Pistons assistant Mike Woodson for the coaching position, according to league and team sources.

His top priority, meanwhile, remains figuring out who the Raptors will take with the No. 8 selection in Thursday's draft. One of four big men who could be available worked out for Babcock and the team's braintrust here yesterday.

Peter John Ramos, a 19-year-old who has spent the last four years playing in Puerto Rico's pro league, is seen as a long-term prospect who might not be worthy of the eighth selection. However, at 7-3 with solid athleticism, he can't be discounted considering the lack of quality centres available for the draft.

"He still has a long, long way to go as a basketball player but the encouraging thing is he has made such great strides in the last two years," Babcock said of the teenager, who didn't start playing organized basketball until he was 15. "He's a hard worker and wants to be a good player."

If the Raptors are serious about taking a centre, Ramos is one of four they'll consider. Russian Pavel Podkolzine will work out for the team today while the other two would have to be drafted sight unseen. Andris Biedrins, a 6-11 centre from Latvia, is injured, while no workout could be arranged for 6-11 Rafeal Araujo of Brigham Young.

Ramos took a circuitous route to the NBA draft. Born in Puerto Rico, he was a teenager living in New York City when a scout from the Puerto Rican league saw him shopping in a big and tall store. A couple of phone calls later and Ramos was on his way back to Puerto Rico, where he played on a high school team as well as with Criollos in the professional ranks.

"I've been working hard on my game every day, after practice, after games, two times a day," he said. "In the morning before I go to school I'm lifting weights, just preparing myself. I know what I can do and I'm doing it."

Babcock also expects to have a coach hired in the next two weeks. Woodson was a finalist for the Toronto job that Kevin O'Neill got last year

Dwane Casey of Seattle and Charlotte's Sam Mitchell, who worked for the Milwaukee Bucks last year, are assistant coaches on the short list, say league sources. Others, such as Indiana assistant Mike Brown, Minnesota assistant Randy Wittman, former Golden State coach Eric Musselman and ex-Atlanta coach Terry Stotts are also rumoured to be in the running.

No trade.

All I know is that Iverson comes to work everyday and he can play some defense. But Vince hasn't really convinced a lot of people (including me) since 2001. He has not lived up to expectations and he does not seem to bring it for his team every night. As for Iverson, he gives you 110% every night.

I thought going to practice was part of working? Iverson can play some defense but isn't a good defender either.
I think Vince's expectations were cut short by injuries not really him not working.
Anyways it's not about the guys, but I would also take Vince, nothing against AI that contract is ridiculous for the age he will be in when it ends, and he just came off a bad season while Cartr only missed 9 games last season. Also this isn't the same Iverson as 2 years ago, and he's not loyal, do you think he'll actualyl want to stay in Toronto if he went there, the guys would whine so much all our ears would die.

I agree. Toronto should either keep Vince or explore other trade possibilities. I also hope there's no truth to Chicago/Philly trade rumour. Dalembert played very well when given the minutes, but I still feel that giving up Chandler and the number three pick is a bit much. It leaves Chicago with little to offer in other, possibly bigger deals.

AI for VC won't happen,screw that deal!

I agree. Toronto should either keep Vince or explore other trade possibilities. I also hope there's no truth to Chicago/Philly trade rumour. Dalembert played very well when given the minutes, but I still feel that giving up Chandler and the number three pick is a bit much. It leaves Chicago with little to offer in other, possibly bigger deals.

I actually wouldn't say Chicago gets too little for the deal as Dalembert averaged 8 points,7 rebounds and 2 blocks in 28 mpg! and all that after the year he sat out the entire season! Imagine what he could turn into? Im not saying Chandler is a bad player but this trade ain't happening.

damn, Sixers management is a bunch of clowns...trading AI for Carter? what the f...? trading Sam Dalembert? trading one of the most promising young centers? what the hell? they really cant be serious

AI for VC won't happen,screw that deal!

You and me both! enjoy paying a 34 year old Iverson $22 Million!

I actually wouldn't say Chicago gets too little for the deal as Dalembert averaged 8 points,7 rebounds and 2 blocks in 28 mpg! and all that after the year he sat out the entire season! Imagine what he could turn into? Im not saying Chandler is a bad player but this trade ain't happening.

True, I'm probably not giving Dalembert enough credit there. But considering some of the other rumours swirling around involving the Bulls' top pick, there are more attractive deals than Chandler + The Third Pick for Dalembert.