NBA Trade Deadline: For the Sixers, It's Time To Deal Andre Iguodala

Philadelphia 76ers GM Ed Stefanski has made it clear that Sixers swingman Andre Iguodala is not available. A source close to the team stated said “unless they change their position” the Sixers won’t trade Iguodala and won’t shed salary.

Considering that Houston and Phoenix have asked about Iguodala the Sixers have an opportunity to start a rebuilding plan considering that the team they have built centered around a core of Sam Dalembert, Elton Brand, and Andre Iguodala has been a major disappointment, and the core at its peak gets you to the second round.

However GM Ed Stefanski may be getting selfish as he is risking the teams long term future, considering the Sixers have three large contracts two of them are very bad ones. An Iguodala trade gives you the chance to deal two of those contracts, the Sixers may significantly worse however cap space will be freed up and a long term plan is established.

But Stefanski is risking the team’s long term future in order to save his job which will inevitably come to an end. Stefanski feels that by keeping Iguodala the team can make a playoff push with the remaining games left in the season. Considering that getting to the playoffs seems like a farfetched idea as the Sixers are 5.5 games out of the eight seed.

But let’s say the Sixers do pull it off a nice end of the season run and make the postseason, they would be matched up against a Cleveland team whom they stand no chance against, likely scenario is that Cleveland sweeps right by the Sixers and the Sixers are right where they were when the season started again, no long term plan, except hoping to get to the playoffs again with a mediocre squad.

It’s no secret that Ed Stefanski will be fired at the end of the season, at least he should be. However Stefanski should at least start laying the ground for the next GM. Jim Paxson in Cleveland is a perfect example of a guy who did not have a great run but towards the end he had at least done a god job by shedding salary and trading some awful contracts like Shawn Kemp despite Kemp being on the downside of his career and still being owed 71 million for about four years, and other contracts Wayne Embry and Gordon Gund were responsible for.

Danny Ferry was the next GM and he did not have to worry about Shawn Kemp’s contract due to Paxson shedding salary. Stefanski needs to do the same and I know it’s not an easy thing to swallow saying that you failed but Ed Stefanski will be fired and if he does not trade Andre Iguodala he would have left without making a positive impact on the team in any way.

As for the Iguodala rumors, in a possible three way trade the Sixers could send Iguodala to Phoenix, Phoenix would send Stoudemire to Miami and Miami would send Michael Beasley to the Sixers.

I know Beasley has been inconsistent but in my opinion Beasley is a guy with a lot of potential and with the right coaching he could be potential franchise changer and a building piece for the franchise.

Another rumored trade would be Iguodala and Dalembert to the Suns for Amare Stoudemire in return. This trade lets the Sixers trade two of their big contracts. Plus they get an elite player in Stoudemire, while Stoudemire does not fit in the team’s long term plans as he wishes to go to a contending team something the Sixers are far from, Stoudemire could opt out become a free agent and give the Sixers a lot of cap relief.

If Stoudemire were to take his 17 million dollar option for next season the Sixers would at least be a decent team, and have a massive trade chip in Stoudemire and his 17 million dollar expiring contract.

The third rumored trade involving the Sixers would Iguodala and Dalembert in exchange for Tracy McGrady and his 22 million dollar expiring contract. This deal gives the Sixers a lot of cap relief as they get two of their large contracts in return for a huge expiring contract. this move would make the most sense as the Sixers would now be significantly worse but have cap space, some young guys in Thaddeus Young, Mareese Speights, Jrue Holiday, and possibly some high draft picks, as their will be some talent to choose from in this year’s draft.

The bottom line is while Ed Stefanski and Eddie Jordan may not be able to save their jobs, there needs to be a foundation, a building plan, some hop for the future. Whether it’s Michael Beasley or cap space or draft picks this team needs something to sell to the fans as they are sick of watching a mediocre team constantly get knocked out of the first round. With the trade deadline coming up and the interest in Andre Iguodala’s name there is opportunity to improve.