NBA Free Agency: Five Andre Iguodala Trade Possibilities

When the Philadelphia 76ers drafted Evan Turner with the second overall pick this past June, one question became the major focus for the upcoming season—How will Turner fit with Andre Iguodala?

The Sixers have the option of never having to figure out an answer to that question. If they wanted to fully commit to a rebuild, they'd take advantage of a buyer's market and trade Iguodala this summer.

While LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh all committed to Miami to form the SuperFriends, there's still plenty of activity to be had this summer, especially on the trade market. Teams like the Pistons, Timberwolves, Magic, and Raptors have been openly shopping players this summer, hoping to find buyers.

Reportedly, the Sixers have slapped the "For Sale" sign on Elton Brand, but they've got to realize at this point that no team will take the three years and $51 million left on Brand's contract. With Brand more-or-less untradeable, Iguodala's left as the Sixers' best trade prospect this summer.

Here, in no particular order, are five potential Andre Iguodala trades the Sixers should consider this summer.

Andre Iguodala for Al Jefferson (Minnesota Timberwolves)

David Kahn, the Minnesota Timberwolves' GM, has all but announced that Al Jefferson will not be a member of the team's long-term future, and thus, can be had at the right price. If the acquisition of Kevin Love and the re-signing of Darko Milicic didn't guarantee that, the trade for Michael Beasley did.

The Sixers should take advantage of Big Al's situation by shipping Iguodala to Minnesota for Jefferson.

There's no way Kahn says no to this trade, given his sudden fascination with small forwards (he drafted four SFs this year). In all likelihood, Kahn would slot Iguodala at SG with Wesley Johnson at SF, having Corey Brewer and Martell Webster coming in off the bench at the two and three, respectively.

For the Sixers, Jefferson would give the team the low-post presence they thought they'd be getting with Elton Brand, and would clear up time at the three for Thaddeus Young. While a frontcourt of Brand and Jefferson would likely result in the same defensive problems as a Love-Jefferson tandem, the Sixers could negate the effects by pairing Brand and Jefferson with Spencer Hawes and Marreese Speights, respectively.

Their salaries are about equal (Jefferson has three years and $42 million remaining and Iguodala has four years and $56 million remaining), and each team fills an area of need by trading away a player of excess. Of all the trades listed here, this one is likely the best value for both teams.

Andre Iguodala for Hedo Turkoglu (Toronto Raptors)

Earlier this summer, Hedo Turkoglu told a Turkish TV station that he wanted out of Toronto before the start of the season.

Please, Toronto, allow the Sixers to take Turkoglu off your hands.

The Raptors, after losing Chris Bosh in a sign-and-trade to Miami, have a "mish mosh" of talent that won't be competing for a championship any time soon. Iguodala's used to those settings, and the Raptors would be particularly devoid of small forwards after Turkoglu's departure (with only Antoine Wright left).

The Sixers, on the other hand, would acquire a small forward that would fit in much better with their offensive scheme. Turkoglu can stretch the floor as a career 38.3 percent shooter from downtown, and while he's more than capable of handling the ball, he also thrives in a catch-and-shoot role.

The Raptors just slipped under the cap after losing Bosh, so the differential in salaries (Turkoglu's signed to a five-year, $53 million contract) shouldn't affect the trade. If the Raptors are committed to trading the disgruntled Turkoglu, they could acquire Iguodala, use their trade exception from the Bosh sign-and-trade to get another quality player, and be well on their way back to relevance without Bosh.

Andre Iguodala for Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons)

The Detroit Pistons have broken out the "For Sale" sign on two of their championship-team stalwarts from the 2004 squad, as they've been searching for takers for Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton.

That makes the Pistons a perfect candidate for a small forward swap with the Sixers this summer.

Much like Toronto, Detroit's a team largely without direction, as they're stuck between their '04 players (Prince, Hamilton, Ben Wallace), their younger draft picks, (Austin Daye, Greg Monroe, Rodney Stuckey), and their free agency mistakes from last year (Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva).

Iguodala would provide the Pistons a clear building piece for another team-centric squad (like the 2004 team), and he plays the gritty, scrappy defense that Detroit respects.

Philadelphia would value Prince for his championship experience first and foremost, but the fact his contract expires at the end of next season doesn't hurt his case either. Given that Philly just sacrificed Samuel Dalembert's $12 million expiring contract in a recent trade to the Kings, they'd re-open over $20 million of cap space after next season with Prince.

The Sixers would get a veteran and a champion, who could impart his knowledge upon the Sixers' youngsters, while the Pistons would get a great number three option for an expiring contract. Their salaries match up well enough that the trade could go through, despite the fact that both teams are already over the cap.

Andre Iguodala for DeAndre Jordan and a 2011 No. 1 pick (L.A. Clippers)

If the Sixers are looking to go the salary dump route, the Los Angeles Clippers have the ideal assets to make a trade for Andre Iguodala still somehow worthwhile for Philly.

The Clippers find themselves about $15 million under the cap after factoring in their Randy Foye and Ryan Gomes signings, according to HoopsHype, and have a huge need at small forward.

Despite drafting Al-Farouq Aminu with the eight overall pick this past June, adding a veteran SF like Iguodala would give the Clippers one of the stronger starting fives in the league talent-wise.

Because the Clips are so far under the cap, the Sixers don't have to receive fair value (contractually) in return, and thus, they could take a project center and a future first round pick to help towards their eventual rebuild.

In DeAndre Jordan, the Sixers acquire a project center to pair alongside Spencer Hawes in their quest to find a replacement for Samuel Dalembert.

Naturally, the Sixers will want a little more than the No. 35 pick from the 2008 draft for the face of their franchise over the past few seasons. The Clips could send their 2011 first-round draft pick to the Sixers without lottery protection, as an attempt to even the value.

The Sixers don't make this move without fully committing to a rebuild, as they'd be completing a straight salary dump here. If they're going that route, acquiring a first-round pick and a project like Jordan isn't such a bad haul for Iguodala, a guy who's become expendable for the Sixers.

Andre Iguodala for Emeka Okafor (New Orleans Hornets)

In this trade, the Hornets and the Sixers would essentially be swapping slightly bloated, long-term contracts to fill positions of serious need.

When the Hornets shipped Morris Peterson to the Oklahoma City Thunder on draft night, they left themselves with James Posey and not much else at small forward (unless you believe this is the year Julian Wright finally breaks out).

Adding an athletic SF like Iguodala alongside the tandem of Chris Paul and David West would give the Hornets some semblance of a Big Three to build around.

The Sixers traded away their best defensive center in Samuel Dalembert to the Kings before the draft, and will be headed into the season with major questions in the front court. (Who's the starting center, for one?) With Okafor on the roster, they'd have a clear starting four and five in Brand and Okafor, and Thad Young could slide over to the three with Iguodala gone.

Neither team will financially benefit from the deal, but both address areas of concern (the Hornets add scoring and playmaking—the Sixers add defense and rebounding).

If this is the best deal the Sixers can manage—however, they may be better off waiting until the trade deadline to see if Iguodala can boost his trade value in the first half of next season.