Marcus Camby has been shown to the city line. Could Allen Iverson be
the next high-dollar player to be drop-kicked out of Denver by the
cost-cutting Nuggets?
Indications are the Nuggets would trade Iverson if the deal was right.
They'd also trade Kenyon Martin or Nene, if anybody wanted either. And
owner Stan Kroenke would be willing to deal the Rocky Mountains if he
owned them and it would keep him from paying the luxury tax.
But Iverson has trade value. With an expiring $20.84 million contract,
he would be an ideal acquisition for a team looking to clear salary-cap
room for next summer in one swoop.
First, though, the Nuggets must decide what they want to do with their
future. There has been no indication so far there is any plan, with the
exception of Kroenke suddenly becoming very budget conscious and
perhaps looking to start collecting S&H Green Stamps.
There's a slim chance the Nuggets could get under the tax threshold for
next season. One way to do that would be to trade Iverson and get back
a bit less than $17 million in salaries, although that figure could
vary depending upon any contract restricted free-agent J.R. Smith might
sign with Denver.
If the Nuggets are a tax-paying team next season, they almost certainly
would be out of the tax in 2009-10 if were to let Iverson walk after
next season. But do they want to let Iverson go for nothing, although
that seems to be a trend these days (the Clippers may end up giving up
nill for Camby)?
If the Nuggets want to try to carve out cap room in the summer of 2010,
when the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh can become
free agents, then it might make sense to wave goodbye to Iverson for
nothing.
However, the Nuggets might deem carving out such cap room too tough or
too risky. After all, they are looking to re-sign Smith, they will have
to make a call on re-signing Linas Kleiza by next summer and Carmelo
Anthony, Martin and Nene all still will be under huge contracts in
2010-11.
If cap room is 2010 is not a realistic goal, then the Nuggets might not
want to let Iverson bolt for nothing. While perhaps trading him before
the start of the season might be too quick of a move, it wouldn't be
surprising if suitors are lining up for Iverson at next February's
trade deadline.
A team out of contention could pick up Iverson, sell a few extra
tickets, and create heaps of cap room. Even a team in contention could
think Iverson might be a missing piece, and then also get cap room if
he is elected not to be kept.
If the Nuggets dealt Iverson, the key would be to get first-round draft
choices and/or young prospects. The Nuggets might have to take back
some longer contracts, but, if they're out of the luxury tax and not
trying to carve out cap room in 2010, that might not be such a bad deal.
There, of course, is one more possibility, but that doesn't seem overly
likely at this point. The Nuggets could look to re-sign Iverson after
he becomes a free agent next summer.
But the Nuggets never offered Iverson a multiyear contract even though
his camp was willing earlier this summer for Iverson to opt out of his
contract and take less money this season. And, while Iverson has said
he wants to finish his career in Denver, one wonders what he might be
thinking after Camby was given away (Iverson has been unavailable for
comment).
Furthermore, it's always tough for a player to return to a team after a
drastic salary cut. I wouldn't want to be standing too close to Iverson
at a time when the Nuggets might say, "We'll give you $5 million or $6
million for 2009-10. That's only a 75-percent pay cut.''
So perhaps the Nuggets will dispatch Iverson by next February's trade
deadline. Hey, Memphis has salary-cap room and the Grizzlies need to
sell some tickets.
Should he stay or should he go?