Good morning and sorry for the lack of a proper article. I'm busy on the road.
Reading the recent AI trade speculation I am fairly stunned by the caliber of the offers being discussed. Young, talented players like Jason Richardson and Mike Bibby for a guy with the age, mileage, and contract of Iverson are interesting.
These offers add to my recent infatuation with trading Ray Allen. Allen is no Iverson, especially at the box office which is why most of these teams have interest. Still he is a bona-fide all-star at the SG position and his resume is close to that over Iversons even if his league-wide popularity is not.
My primary thought of trading Allen comes from a question about his attitude and style and how it relates to his teammates. Allen is cool as ice, professional in every way, and handles himself with a level of maturity that is seldom seen in the league. On some teams this would be a great thing, however I am starting to wonder about the Sonics. I start to wonder if they need fire over ice, passion over professionalism, and someone in a leadership role who brings fire to the lineup. Would this type of player drive Rashard Lewis to new levels? Would the team as a whole play with more attitude and intensity? I'm really starting to wonder.
Much as the Pistons many years ago learned that Grant Hill simply was too polished to bring them a ring I believe Ray Allen may be also. I will be watching the Iverson sweepstakes with great interest to see what type of return he brings, if Allen can somehow be included in the deal, or if Danny Fortson's expiring contract finds a way to come into play. The 76ers need to clear some salary and I don't buy these stories of them taking on huge contracts. More likely they find a player like Fortson to send to a team like Charlotte, and clear salary while improving their draft standing.
your thoughts?