Andre Iguodala Trade Rumors: Why the Denver Nuggets Should Pull the Trigger

Coming off a successful offseason at the FIBA World Championships in Turkey, Andre Iguodala is among the most valuable second-tier players in the NBA.

The Philadelphia 76ers star has tremendous athletic ability, great leadership skills and (best of all) he is only 26—about the age basketball players hit their prime.

Due to his recent and past success, it's only natural that many teams have begun to strongly consider trading for the standout wing.

Among the most interested is the Denver Nuggets, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. That may seem surprising, as the only player that remotely comes to mind as compensation is superstar Carmelo Anthony, and I'd say that kind of blockbuster would be a long shot at best.

It may seem like an impossible scenario, but I think the Nuggets should push for this deal—and soon.

The Nuggets are currently 5-5, and the 76ers are struggling at 2-9. It may seem obvious when it comes to who needs more help, but when both of these teams are unlikely to compete for a title this year, they each have to look at the second-best plan, which is to prepare for the future.

The Sixers and Nuggets should both strongly consider making this deal for one main reason: the long term. If 'Melo were to end up in Philly in exchange for—let's say—Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and another player, the 76ers would feel an immediate impact with a superstar coming in, but the Nuggets could break and rebuild with two young talents in Iguodala and Young.

Anthony is currently averaging 24.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists, while Iguodala is averaging: 12.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists. If one were to base this potential deal solely on stats, this may seem like a horrible idea for Denver.

But it's important to keep in mind that it's unfair to compare these two players. While Iguodala isn't a superstar, he is very good second option who possesses well-rounded abilities; on the other hand, Anthony is arguably the best scorer in the game today. They bring different things to the table, and Iguodala would not be the only player the Nuggets would receive in such a trade.

One of the biggest factors when considering this deal should also be Anthony's attitude in Denver. During the offseason, 'Melo seemed unhappy with being part of the Nuggets, and reports emerged saying he was seeking a trade from his only NBA team to head back east, where he would be closer to home.

For the Nuggets, it may or may not be a good move to take this reality into consideration when looking ahead into the future.

Now, the only way this deal would happen is if the Nuggets became willing to think in the long term and not in the short term. Like I said before, we aren't going to be seeing either of these teams in the finals anytime soon, so the Nuggets should start clearing space for a future big signing, as anything could happen after that. 

The Denver organization would have to try to get rid of players like Chris Anderson, who is currently being paid $7 million per year for four years, and Kenyon Martin, who has a player option for 16.55 million next season (one he'll surely exercise). These two players alone are worth $23 million this year, and they both appear to lack motivation. This would have to happen in order to rebuild what would then be a struggling Nuggets team. 

For the 76ers, this would be a great Band-Aid for a wounded 2-9 team, and when I say that I mean it would be a good start as a fix for the meantime. Only time would tell if the wound could completely heal.

The 76ers should be drooling over a deal like this. They have been mediocre at best over the last couple of seasons, and without veteran guard Andre Miller, who is now playing extremely well with the Blazers, the 76ers have so far relied on their young talents in Iguodala and Young to carry the team in 2009-10. So far that hasn't proven very successful.

Adding Carmelo Anthony would immediately turn this team around. I wouldn't go as far as saying this team would become a playoff contender, but they would have the ammo to become one for sure.

Once again, I emphasize the mere reality that this deal would be a long shot at best, but don't be critical about it, because—believe it or not—both teams would feel the benefits of this deal, whether it be in the short term or long term.