When Does The Allen Iverson Sweepstakes Begin ?

After one and a half years with the Denver Nuggets and consecutive first round fallouts, Allen Iverson has now officially become eye candy around the league.

Iverson averaged 26.4 PPG, 7.1 APG, and 2 SPG in the regular season and is third All Time based on points per game average.

In the recent Nuggets-Lakers series, The Answer averaged 24.5 PPG, 4.5 APG, and 1 SPG.

If he got traded, it would definitely shake things up in Denver and across the league. I would also be sad to see the six foot swiss army knife go. 

Several teams in the running for Iverson are:

Miami

Indiana

Chicago

Sacramento

An Iverson-Marion swap sounds pretty intriguing 

Heat send 

Shawn Marion

for

Nuggets send

Allen Iverson 

Think of this starting lineup

Heat Line-Up 

Allen Iverson

Dwyane Wade

Shawn Marion

Udonis Haslem

Earl Barron

Nuggets Line-Up

Taurean Green

Carmelo Anthony 

Shawn Marion

Kenyon Martin

Marcus Camby 

Pro's:

Miami gains another offensive weapon and becomes juggernauts of the Eastern Conference. However, they would also lose their best defensive player in Shawn Marion but receive a nice consolation prize, Allen Iverson.

Michael Beasley can be selected with the number one overall pick in July to fill the hole left by Marion

Denver gains much needed athlectism and talent on the defensive end with the versatile Shawn Marion. Instantly, he would bring the Garnett effect to Denver, and the Nuggets would finish in the Top 10 in the league in defense.

The Nuggets can also select a guard with the 20th selection to take over for Iverson.

Problem: 

The only way this deal could happen is if Iverson and Marion both agree to opt out of their contracts and reach sign and trade deal deals with Denver and Miami.  

Other possible deals include:

Heat send

Udonis Haslem 

Shawn Marion

for 

Nuggets send

Allen Iverson 

J.R. Smith 

or

Heat send

#1 Draft Pick

for

Nuggets send

Allen Iverson

Pacers send

Jamaal Tinsely

Jermaine O'Neal

for

Nuggets send 

Allen Iverson 

J.R. Smith 

Pro's:

Indiana was a team that was in the bottom half of the league in scoring and saw both their perennial All Stars suffer season ending injuries in recent years. The Pacers get #3 and Smith, an instant regimen for a 100 PPG+ team. They also have the 11th pick with whom they can choose Kevin Love and the 41st pick.

Denver gets both a big man and a point guard with All Star skills and a better chance to win their division. Because of this trade, Kenyon Martin would be sent to the bench, O'Neal starts, Tinsley starts, and the SG position would be vacant.

Nuggets Line-Up 

Jamaal Tinsley

Carmelo Anthony

Linas Kleiza

Marcus Camby 

Jermaine O'Neal

Pacers Line-Up 

Flip Murray 

Allen Iverson

Danny Granger

Nene

Kevin Love

O'Neal, Iverson, and J.R. Smith all must come to terms on new deals for this trade to happen. 

Although, this turns into a high risk, high reward situation. If O'Neal and Tinsley continue getting hurt, the Nuggets will look like fools.

Bulls send 

Chris Duhon

Tyrus Thomas

9th pick

for

Nuggets send 

Allen Iverson

20th pick

Pro's:

With the acquisition, the Bulls can focus on signing Luol Deng to a long-term deal and allow Ben Gordon to walk the plank and test the free agency waters.

The Denver Nuggets get good talent in Duhon and excellent in Tyrus Thomas. Chris Duhon is undermanaged talent, somewhat of a Delonte West scenario in Seattle. Thomas is an outstanding shot blocker with a solid offensive game and is a horse on the glass. 

Problems:

Iverson and Duhon must agree to new deals.

Nuggets Lineup 

Chris Duhon

Carmelo Anthony

Linas Kleiza 

Tyrus Thomas

Marcus Camby 

Kings send 

Ron Artest

Anthony Johnson

for

Nuggets send

Allen Iverson

Nene

Pro's:

Sacramento will welcome Allen and Nene with open arms into Arco Arena and the Bay Area.

Iverson will light it up just about wherever he goes and he might have more help in Sactown than in the Mile High. In turn, the Kings receive Nene Hilario-a strong, agile, big man with good speed and mediocre defense.

The Nuggets get the long overdue help of Ron Artest and a veteran point guard who still can score with A.J.

Kings Line-Up 

Allen Iverson

Kevin Martin

Francisco Garcia 

Miki Moore 

Brad Miller

Nuggets Line-Up

Anthony Johnson

Carmelo Anthony

Linas Kleiza

Tyrus Thomas

Marcus Camby

The upcoming offseason for Denver will greatly affect their 2008-09 season, whether or not George Karl keeps his job, and how far they get into the playoffs.