Depressed Fan

ESPN is reporting that the Nuggets and Sixers have agreed in principle to a deal that would send Iverson to Denver. The Sixers will get back Andre Miller, Joe Smith and 2 first round picks in the 2007 draft. (Denver's pick and Dallas' pick, provided it's not a top-7 pick).

Odds are that neither pick will be a lottery pick, but having 3 picks in the first round is a good way to rebuild a team, and there's no doubt that's the road this team is heading down. Andre Miller is 30, and should slide right into the starting lineup. He's a solid point guard, not a great scorer, but he'll distribute the ball. He's signed for 2 years after this year. The Sixers had to bend a little, because it was reported they only wanted expiring contracts back in any deal. Joe Smith's contract expires at the end of this season.

The Sixers got a little better today, hopefully not too much better. I doubt Miller and Smith will contribute enough to ruin the team's chances at the top pick in the June draft, at least I hope not. Ideally, I would've liked to have seen the Sixers get a higher draft pick in return for Iverson, especially with Greg Oden believed to be available in the draft, but this deal isn't a trajedy. Or I should say, it could've been much, much worse.

For the Nuggets, this isn't a smart move. They've already got their ball hog, and he doesn't share well. It's good for them that Iverson will have the next 14 or so games to cement his position on the team, because Carmelo is not going to thrive in this situation. 
Iverson works well with guys who look to rebound, play defense and support him above everything else. Carmelo is a shoot-first guy, they're going to butt heads, and it's going to happen sooner rather than later. Iverson won't be the one to make noise, he's going to pick up right where he left off and probably win a scoring title. Carmelo is going to be the one to suffer and ultimately crack under the pressure.