AI to be traded to the Pistons!

[Sloanfeld]

Man I expected Denver to blow up sometime between December and the trade deadline and AI to be dealt, but this early was a total suprise. The Nuggets know what they are getting, a clutch PG, can post up better than most PG's in the league, and plays good defense, something that Denver lacked. With this deal I think Denver makes the playoffs, Blazers probably out now.

Gamble by Dumars, looks like they think they'll get some big free agent next summer. I don't exactly like it for them, but I guess they aren't exactly throwing away their season. They still have enough all-stars and a good supporting cast on their team. It's going to be real interesting seeing Iverson on this team. It's easily the best cast he's had around him (considering the Nuggets never lived up to what they were on paper).

[El Turco]

nuggets got better for this year but i still dont think they are good enough to be threat both in division or conference. this screws them up long term, so all is well for jazz.

[JStockLivesOn]

Terrible trade financially/for their future. As for this year, great trade basketball-wise. Chucky Atkins can finally go back to being a decent back-up PG, rather than Co-Captain with Anthony freakin' Carter.

[JStockLivesOn]

I

The real stat to look up though is the head to head record between the two. In 5 match ups between Deron Williams and Chauncey Billups... Deron 5, Chauncey 0.

I wanted to track down the Clippers' announcers and smack them when they said that Detroit has "dominated" Utah lately.

[CAE15]

yay I can go back to liking AI, but now I have to go against billups ah well.

[J_Ray]

I wanted to track down the Clippers' announcers and smack them when they said that Detroit has "dominated" Utah lately.

lol Same here, I was like "Guy's a joke"


What is there to be scared of Denver after this deal? They just strapped themselves with cap for quite awhile and probably gave Detroit cap for them to go after a Carmelo Anthony or Chris Bosh. They also just gave Rip a 3 year extension, so there goes any chance @ Rip for at least a year or 2.

[Nuggets_Talk]

Terrible trade financially/for their future. As for this year, great trade basketball-wise. Chucky Atkins can finally go back to being a decent back-up PG, rather than Co-Captain with Anthony freakin' Carter.

financially it will help us down the road. had we let AI walk we werent getting cap space anyways but we are still saving cash now and have a huge TE to use within a year if we want. smart move by both sides.

[JStockLivesOn]

Terrible trade financially/for their future. As for this year, great trade basketball-wise. Chucky Atkins can finally go back to being a decent back-up PG, rather than Co-Captain with Anthony freakin' Carter.

financially it will help us down the road. had we let AI walk we werent getting cap space anyways but we are still saving cash now and have a huge TE to use within a year if we want. smart move by both sides.

Why weren't you getting cap space by letting him go? I know you guys are over the cap right now, but at the very least, you'd have put considerable distance between yourselves and the luxury tax.

[JStockLivesOn]

Terrible trade financially/for their future. As for this year, great trade basketball-wise. Chucky Atkins can finally go back to being a decent back-up PG, rather than Co-Captain with Anthony freakin' Carter.

financially it will help us down the road. had we let AI walk we werent getting cap space anyways but we are still saving cash now and have a huge TE to use within a year if we want. smart move by both sides.

Why weren't you getting cap space by letting him go? I know you guys are over the cap right now, but at the very least, you'd have put considerable distance between yourselves and the luxury tax.

[Nuggets_Talk]

Terrible trade financially/for their future. As for this year, great trade basketball-wise. Chucky Atkins can finally go back to being a decent back-up PG, rather than Co-Captain with Anthony freakin' Carter.

financially it will help us down the road. had we let AI walk we werent getting cap space anyways but we are still saving cash now and have a huge TE to use within a year if we want. smart move by both sides.

Why weren't you getting cap space by letting him go? I know you guys are over the cap right now, but at the very least, you'd have put considerable distance between yourselves and the luxury tax.

at best we would have gained minimal cap space - not even MLE type money. not worth it. so in essense we would have lost AI for nothing. instead we got a pretty good player. and we are saving money now and got under the lux tax already with a couple smart moves.

[el loco]

Terrible trade financially/for their future. As for this year, great trade basketball-wise. Chucky Atkins can finally go back to being a decent back-up PG, rather than Co-Captain with Anthony freakin' Carter.

financially it will help us down the road. had we let AI walk we werent getting cap space anyways but we are still saving cash now and have a huge TE to use within a year if we want. smart move by both sides.

Why weren't you getting cap space by letting him go? I know you guys are over the cap right now, but at the very least, you'd have put considerable distance between yourselves and the luxury tax.

I am just guessing here: I think he meant that if we let him walk, we would have to spend money to replace him. We take back what should be about 8 million less in salary after this year on the deal, we generated a new TE of about 3 million, and got the 10 million TE we did have extended by being able to use it in this deal, which should save the owner from paying the Luxury tax once all of the trade is finalized and done, we actually kept our two #1 draft picks, and I think that he gives his approval on the trade. If that is the case, I like the optimism.

Personally, I think it makes us a better team simply by freeing up the roster (a guy that should start probably will (JR), and a guy that shouldn't, (AC) shouldn't), but we are still a team that has many of the same issues/needs that it had before the trade was made. I do think that it should stop teams from packing the paint against us because we should have 2 very good and capable 3 point threats in the starting lineup now and we gained a lot of size in the backcourt. We went from AI and AC to what will eventually be Mr. Big Shot and JR, which is better for matching up against the rest of the league. I guess I can go on and on about why I like the deal on paper, but until it pans out on the court, it is all just a bunch of theoretical bull puckey!!!! But, I think it will be fun to see how it turns out.

[JStockLivesOn]

I think this is a great trade for you guys basketball-wise, no question. When it's all said and done, you basically traded Andre Miller for Chauncey Billups. Miller's a good PG, but Billups is an obvious upgrade and proven winner.

[JStockLivesOn]

at best we would have gained minimal cap space - not even MLE type money. not worth it. so in essense we would have lost AI for nothing. instead we got a pretty good player. and we are saving money now and got under the lux tax already with a couple smart moves.

I was thinking more long-term. You're going to have to extend Kleiza and Smith soon, aren't you? Or did you already extend Smith?

[corona]

smith is extended for 3 years, 16 million. kleiza will be a RFA in the summer of 09.

[eslr]

Terrible trade financially/for their future.

Not really. Financially this was a coup for the Nuggets. After the buyout of McDyess it's a little unclear if they are under the lux-tax or not, but they are darn close. Even if they didn't get below, they are saving about $16 million up front this year alone (roughly $8 mill in salary and $8 mill in lux tax). Add another $3-$4 million if they get below the lux tax.

Next year the only effect it has is that it might limit their wiliness to spend the MLE (although saving $40 mill this year by trading AI and Camby may convince Kroenke to spend a little more next year). Had they let Iverson expire, they still wouldn't of had any cap room to sign a free agent anyways. And to be honest, not having the MLE probably isn't that bad considering their track record on spending that money. Right now all they have to show for it is Steven Hunter and Chucky Atkins, neither of which have contributed or will contribute anything to the team. They have gotten a lot more production out of players playing for th vets minimum.