Here's a great article by NBA analyst Steve Kerr on the Allen Iverson Trade situation...

Philadelphia faltered last season both on the floor and at the gate, despite the fact that Iverson and Chris Webber were healthy all season. With A.I.'s age (31), his salary (about $20 million per year) and the likelihood that the Sixers are looking at another trip to the lottery, King wants to trade Iverson and begin the rebuilding process.

Ideally, Philly would obtain a couple of good young players and a high draft pick, but as the summer goes on, it is becoming apparent that King may have trouble finding the deal he wants. The fact is, Iverson isn't nearly as attractive to teams as King had hoped, and he simply doesn't fit into most teams' plans – financially and otherwise.

Here are the reasons why:

Finding the Answer

Source: Yahoo Sports
By Steve Kerr, Yahoo! Sports
July 18, 2006

With Philadelphia 76ers general manager Billy King all but announcing he is going to trade Allen Iverson this summer, it certainly appears the seven-time All-Star will don a new uniform next season. Iverson spoke publicly about the situation last week, saying that "he'd like to be in Philadelphia if the Sixers want him." Still, King appears resolute in his intention to deal his talented guard.

Philadelphia faltered last season both on the floor and at the gate, despite the fact that Iverson and Chris Webber were healthy all season. With A.I.'s age (31), his salary (about $20 million per year) and the likelihood that the Sixers are looking at another trip to the lottery, King wants to trade Iverson and begin the rebuilding process.

Ideally, Philly would obtain a couple of good young players and a high draft pick, but as the summer goes on, it is becoming apparent that King may have trouble finding the deal he wants. The fact is, Iverson isn't nearly as attractive to teams as King had hoped, and he simply doesn't fit into most teams' plans – financially and otherwise.

Here are the reasons why:

1. He's not your prototypical superstar. This is not Charles Barkley or Shaquille O'Neal being shopped – a physical specimen who can dominate games and change the course of a franchise. Iverson is tiny – a ferocious competitor, yes, but a slightly built, high-volume, low-percentage shooter. (He has shot 42 percent for his career.) Yes, he's a brilliant scorer – he poured in 33 points a night for the Sixers this past season – but he needs a lot of attempts to score his points. He dominates the ball and would dramatically alter the look of any team he joins. So any team that has a plan in place and is making progress would be very wary of threatening its blueprint by adding Iverson.

2. His contract. Iverson has $60 million and three years remaining on his deal. These days, almost every team in the NBA this side of New York is intent on staying below the luxury tax threshold. Taking on his contract is a huge gamble for most franchises, since Iverson can't make enough of an impact to guarantee a club a playoff spot.

3. His durability. At some point, Iverson can't continue to throw his body all over the floor and still stay healthy. He weighs about 165 pounds soaking wet, and he's played so many minutes in his career that it would seem he's ready to begin the inevitable decline that every athlete experiences. If a team is going to trade away several key assets for Iverson, it would want to know that it is getting several good years out of him. That's questionable.

4. "Practice." Iverson's famous tirade back in 2002 regarding the insignificance of actually practicing the game is something that will stay with him forever. NBA coaches have almost no job security whatsoever already, so to be in charge of a team that is led by a guy who doesn't want to practice is not the most tempting thought on earth.

Despite those issues, of course, we are talking about one of the most explosive, high-scoring guards in the history of the NBA and a guy who has always been a popular draw with fans. So, undoubtedly, there are some teams interested in Iverson. The trick is to figure out which teams make sense and which don't. It's a little like putting a very expensive but quirky house on the market. Not everyone will be interested, and it will take a special buyer to come in and make an offer.

With that in mind, here's an educated guess at which teams might be interested in A.I. We'll go with a process of elimination.

Throw out the teams that are already championship contenders because Iverson would be too risky for a franchise that is close to winning it all: Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. Now toss out the teams that have embarked on youth movements and are unwilling to risk high hopes and future plans with such a brash deal: Charlotte Bobcats, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic and Milwaukee Bucks.

How about the teams that already have successful, highly paid point guards? Teams like the Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards and New Jersey Nets? I don't see Iverson in any of those spots. What about the teams that already have high-priced superstars and can't add another huge salary to their payroll? There go the Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets. Throw out the Utah Jazz, too, because I can't ever see Iverson in a Jazz jersey. Can you? Didn't think so.

Also, toss out any teams with financial issues. The Seattle SuperSonics are reportedly being sold, and the franchise is in the midst of a battle with the city over a possible new arena. No Seattle for Iverson.

So we're left with a group of seven teams that in theory might have an interest in Iverson: Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors. Now the question is, out of those teams, which one makes the most sense? And perhaps more importantly, which has the goods to make the Sixers a good offer?

Let's look at the possibilities:

Atlanta – This seems like a good fit because the Hawks have lots of good young talent and need a box office star. A sign-and-trade involving Al Harrington and one of their young wing players – Josh Smith, perhaps – and another player or two to make the salaries fit would seem to work. This team has been bad for a long time, and Iverson would make a huge splash in Atlanta – people might actually come to see the games – but with the Hawks' ownership group involved in ongoing legal battles, the team is severely restricted in making long-term, big-money deals.

New York – Money is no object; we know that. And Iverson would be a huge hit on Broadway. If there's one thing Knicks fans want, it's a star player who will play hard every night and excite them. But who would King want off that roster? Stephon Marbury? Steve Francis? And does Philadelphia really want to trade Iverson to a division rival? Oh, and the Knicks will most likely have Chicago's first-round choice next season, not their own, so their draft pick isn't a great asset.

Golden State – The Warriors could make a move, since they have plenty of big contracts and some desirable young talent in Troy Murphy, Monta Ellis and Jason Richardson. But if I'm the Warriors, I'm not moving Richardson. Philly would most likely have to take Baron Davis to make the deal work.

Denver – Carmelo and A.I. together? Doubtful. Not enough basketballs to go around. Besides, the Nuggets just handed out $140 million in contract extensions. But you never know. Denver doesn't appear to have much of a plan other than to pay a whole bunch of guys a whole lot of money. Maybe the Nuggets can package a few of them for Iverson.

Memphis – It's a possibility. But the Grizzlies aren't giving up Pau Gasol, and other than Mike Miller and Rudy Gay, there's not a whole lot on the roster that would appeal to King. And to make it work, the Sixers would have to take on some bad contracts.

Indianapolis – The Pacers would probably have to part with Jermaine O'Neal to get Iverson, and the rule of thumb is you don't trade big for small. And putting Iverson alongside Stephen Jackson and Jamaal Tinsley? Uh uh.

Boston – Another division rival? Still, all the rumors have Danny Ainge making a huge push for Iverson, which is why the Celtics' G.M. traded for Sebastian Telfair on draft day. (Telfair would end up a Sixer as part of the package. Of course, with the way Randy Foye and Brandon Roy have played this summer, Philly would be much more interested in either one of them than Telfair. So maybe Ainge made a mistake with the trade. But I digress.)

Boston does have some young talent to offer in Al Jefferson, Kendrick Perkins, Tony Allen and Delonte West. But to make the salaries match up, Philly would have to take back either Wally Szczerbiak or Theo Ratliff. And Paul Pierce just signed a huge extension. Do the Celtics want both Pierce and Iverson in the backcourt – with only one ball between them – and a gazillion dollars committed to two players who may not complement one another?

In the end, there isn't one team that jumps out as an ideal fit for Iverson. And for Billy King, it's not easy to imagine a trade that will bring back what he's looking for.

Who knows? Maybe something will materialize and we will see A.I. in a new uniform next season. But there's also a good chance King won't find a deal he likes, and Iverson will stay in Philadelphia.

What's the old cliché – some of the best trades are the ones you don't make? That may be the case here. Iverson has been a Sixer his entire career, he wants to stay and, even though the fans in Philly aren't coming out in droves to see him, they still love A.I.

The best spot for him just might be right where he is.

Steve Kerr is Yahoo! Sports' NBA analyst. Send him a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

Updated on Wednesday, Jul 19, 2006 2:59 am EDT