NBA Trade Rumors: 5 Steps Andre Iguodala Can Take to Avoid Being Dealt

Trade rumors involving the Sixers' star point-forward Andre Iguodala have been swirling over the City of Brotherly Love for nearly two years. During that time, the other AI has been linked to the Clippers, the Warriors, the Bulls and quite a few others. Yet Iguodala, for the time being, remains a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. 

If, as Iguodala has said, he wants to remain a member of the Sixers, there are a number of steps he can take to demonstrate his commitment to the up-and-coming 76er franchise. 

As always, comments are welcome and appreciated. 

5. Mentor Evan Turner

When the Sixers selected shooting guard Evan Turner with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the franchise was making a clear statement that Turner was going to be a franchise cornerstone for years to come. 

While Turner has not yet lived up to expectations and established himself as a top-flight young shooting guard at the NBA level, he has shown flashes of what kind of player he might become. As an established star with a similar skill set to Turner, Iguodala might be the ideal mentor to the talented youngster.

Stars in other sports frequently take rookies and youngsters under their wing and guide them along the learning curve that always seems to plague newcomers in the professional game.

To give just one quick example, the Flyers' young superstar Claude Giroux has been living with veteran playmaker Danny Briere and credits his relationship with the veteran center as a major factor in his rapid development into a premier offensive playmaker. 

If Iguodala wants to increase his value to the Sixers, one way he can do it is to increase his value to a future franchise cornerstone in Turner. As a bonus, having Iguodala as a mentor just might help Turner's development (and the Sixer franchise along with it). 

4. Vote Against Any New CBA

The longer the NBA lockout continues, the more likely it is that Iguodala will remain a member of the Philadelphia 76ers—for no other reason than the team won't have the time to work out a deal before training camp and the regular season starts. 

While this is not a long-term solution to Iguodala's situation, a continuation of the NBA lockout would keep him as a member of the Sixers for a longer period of time. Granted, he won't be playing basketball at all, but that's a relatively small price to pay if he really wants to remain a Sixer for another year.

Once the NBA season begins, however, Iguodala will need to be ready to have a career season and once and for all demonstrate his value to the Philadelphia 76ers' franchise. 

3. Be a Leader When It Matters

During the recent NFL Lockout, many star players and team leaders organized unofficial OTAs and team activities on their own time and on their own dime. If Iguodala wants to prove to the Sixer management that he is ready and willing to be the veteran on-court leader of this up-and-coming team, he can start by leading the team off the court. 

This doesn't have to be a grand gesture or a mini training camp. But organizing and hosting a three- or four-day slate of team activities and practices would show that he is ready and willing to be a leader for the Sixers in 2011-2012. The cost to Iguodala for such a program would be minimal in comparison to the vast sums of money he has earned thus far in his NBA career. At most, it would cost $10,000 or $20,000. That's far less than the average NBA fine. 

It's a simple formula for success. Iguodala needs to be a franchise player if he doesn't want to be traded. Right now, one of the biggest steps Iguodala can take toward being such a player is to take a page out of the Peyton Manning playbook and host his own little OTA for the team. 

2. Announce His Dedication to the Franchise

This might be the simplest thing Iguodala can do to demonstrate to Sixer management that he wants to remain a part of the organization. All he has to do is call a press conference and announce, in no uncertain terms, that he wants to remain a member of the organization that drafted him all those years ago. Throwing in some praise of the team's young core and head coach wouldn't hurt either.

There isn't much else to add here. It will probably take more than just a public announcement, but it certainly couldn't hurt. If nothing else, all of Sixer Nation will know exactly where Iguodala stands. And having the fans on your side isn't the worst thing in the world. It may not always matter, but it can (and will be) a consideration for Sixer management. 

1. Recruit Another NBA Star to the Philadelphia 76ers

Its no secret that NBA players—off the court—are friendly. They talk.

Last offseason, Dwayne Wade recruited LeBron James and Chris Bosh to the Heat before the free-agency period started. And while we all know how the Dream Team's first year ended, we also know that James, Wade and Bosh will all be back in South Beach again in 2011-2012.

Whether it is by trade or free agency, if Iguodala can lure another established NBA star to the Philadelphia 76ers, he will increase his value to the club. No team is going to want to take a recruit and fire the recruiter—it's just not good for business.