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The Laundromat Basement Shopping of Andre Iguodala

Happy Friday, news-bunglers. A few days ago, I posed the question to readers, most riding the Evan Turner Bust Bus, who you would rather trade by midseason, considering the whole package, Andre Iguodala or Turner. The overwhelming response was in favor of shipping off Andre. Not surprising, because for over a year, various teams have been linked to pursuing him or at least considering it. Phoenix, Dallas, Chicago, Cleveland, New Orleans, Houston, San Antonio, Portland -- all mentioned in some purgatory between fact and fiction over the possibility of acquiring Andre Iguodala.

Add the Los Angeles Clippers to the list. According to David Aldridge, the non-Lakers are in the market for a veteran small forward to start while they groom their hardcore porn-raw draftee Al-Farouq Aminu from the bench. While Tracy McGrady and his brittle bones have spoken to the Clips about a deal, Iguodala remains speculative. I don't think the Sixers are openly shopping Iguodala, nor are they concerned that he and Turner will work together. But I do think that there's a small contingent of front office people assigned to the secret tasksomething like a Manhattan Project.

What can they get from the Clippers for Andre? I'm not sure. Blake Griffin is out of the question and Chris Kaman is more of a win-now move (basketball sense?). Nothing can happen with Aminu or Eric Bledsoe until August 10th when draft picks can be traded, but I don't find either of those two very appealing to us anyway. DeAndre Jordan seems like a possibility, but the real prize here would be Eric Gordon.

In the last year of his contract, it's undetermined if the Clips will ladle out the warm cheddar to lock up the former Hoosier long-term, though I suspect they will. After coming out as a freshman, Gordon has shown plenty of promise on the offensive end, and despite his good strength and tremendous wingspan, not much defensively. I really like him as an NBA 2-guard because of his milk chocolate jump shot and "attack the rim" mentality. With Jrue Holiday running the show and Turner/Gordon on the wings, that's a balanced, stud threesome in the making, all under 23 years old. Although in an e-mail exchange with the talented Steve Perrin of SBN's fantastic LAC site Clips Nation, Steve listed Gordon as "untouchable" and goes on to speculate if their other assets were valuable enough to net them Iguodala.

I used to think that Iggy was overpaid, until I saw Rudy Gay's contract.  Iggy looks downright cheap at this point.  Everyone gets all crazy, especially with Chicago and Miami giving players away to clear cap space, and thinks that players are just going to be offered up for nothing, so my readers think they can get Iggy for a bag of Cheetos, but you and I know that ain't true.  I'd say in his case, if you came up with anything that worked and didn't involve Griffin or Gordon, it would at least be worth a listen.

Please forgive his use of "Iggy" -- I'm sure if Andre goes to the Clips, he'd make everyone aware of his disdain for the name. I don't think there is anything without including Gordon/Griffin that's worth thinking about if it's for Andre, unless we're securing two unprotected firsts. It really depends on what Serling's plan is for the next few seasons.

Agreeing with Jordan, if I were Stefanski (and to be clear, I am not) I'd ask for DeAndre Jordan, Gordon and an unprotected first for Iguodala. Whether or not the Clips would bite in order to build a 4-5-6 playoff team in the West, I'm not sure. They'd have to acquire a shooter to play the opposite wing and if they could find a way to work it contractually, I'd birth a child if they took Jason Kapono off our hands. Should Andre not work out, Kapono for a 2nd rounder and a trade exception would be fine by me. Although Steve isn't buying.

I don't think the Clippers would be willing to give up anything for [Kapono] right now.  As a guy who is making $6.6M and put up PERs in the 8 the last two seasons, I don't see that as anything other than a salary dump for Philly.  The Clippers could use a shooter, so he could be a good fit for a season, but I don't see them parting with any assets ... not even a second round pick.

Seems logical. Rats. Thaddeus Young is also an option for the Clippers, although Aminu may be too similar for their future. Thad could net us DeAndre Jordan and a protected first, which I would do in a heartbeat.

The important thing for the little hobbits in the Sixers front office underground to remember is how good of a player Andre remains, at only age 26, with a contract that grows prettier with each exorbitant signing. If they aren't blown away, there is no need to force a trade. Stand your ground, Ed, you have to get lucky sometime in the trade market.

We'll have updates on the Andre Iguodala rumor mill as they come in. Just in case of a Stefanski trade, stay away from all pointy objects until further notice. Check out Clips Nation for all of your Clipper needs and thanks to Steve for chiming in.

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You are forgetting the Clippers biggest trading chip

They own a T-Wolves 1st round pick:
Top 10 protected 2011
unprotected 2012

I can only dream about what that 2012 unprotected Minny pick could become…

I would strongly consider Iguodala for:

1. Aminu/Jordan/TPE
2. Jordan/Minny #1

Although I like Gordon, not looking to force Turner to play SF. I think that would really impede his progress.

by tk76 on Jul 23, 2010 6:26 AM PDT reply actions  

Good spot. That would be tremendous.

I don’t think Turner shifting to the 3 makes much difference because I’ve always thought the 2-3 changes were negligible. But moving Andre would mean Turner guarding their best wing player, which would hurt us a bit defensively unless Gordon reached his defensive potential.

Liberty Ballers / Ridiculous Upside / @TAFKAMikeBourn

The Artist Formerly Known As The Artist Formerly Known As Michael Bourn

by Michael Levin on Jul 23, 2010 6:28 AM PDT up reply actions  

I’m more concerned about Turner drawing bigger, more athletic defenders. He does not seem ready for that. But playing at SG between Jrue and Iguodala means he will be guarded by smaller/weaker defenders (possibly even PG’s in Jrue is killing people.) That should enable Turner to have favorable match-ups from day one. And then he can take off from there.

Being the #2 overall pick puts a lot of pressure to succeed right away. I want him to be in a position to succeed offensively. Otherwise things could start snowballing in the wrong direction like they did with Beasley.

by tk76 on Jul 23, 2010 6:33 AM PDT up reply actions  

Correct me if Im wrong, but Dunleavy has nothing to do with the Clippers anymore correct….isn’t it all in crazy Donald Sterling’s hands.

Anyway, I just think that the Sixers should wait on trading Andre… especially with the potential that he lights it up at the world championships and gives everyone a chance to see what he could do with talent by his side.

by Tron79 on Jul 23, 2010 6:41 AM PDT reply actions  

Fixed.

Liberty Ballers / Ridiculous Upside / @TAFKAMikeBourn

The Artist Formerly Known As The Artist Formerly Known As Michael Bourn

by Michael Levin on Jul 23, 2010 7:09 AM PDT up reply actions  

It is really, really, really sad when the CLIPPERS look at your team as a Food Animal. I mean, come on…how is it that the Evil Empire hasn’t fired Stefanski out of pure corporate humiliation?

by dweebowitz on Jul 23, 2010 7:02 AM PDT reply actions  

I haven’t even thought about that. He’s just as bad as their customer service.

by packimop on Jul 23, 2010 3:41 PM PDT up reply actions  

After reading some of the Chris Paul speculation articles, a match was light in my head (electricity, nor the light bulb, has been invented in there yet). Might not be a bad thing if the Sixers got in on the act as the third team, in a three team trade. Provided we got back young talent and draft picks.

by briztoon on Jul 23, 2010 7:28 AM PDT reply actions  

I would love being the third team in any three-team trade.

Liberty Ballers / Ridiculous Upside / @TAFKAMikeBourn

The Artist Formerly Known As The Artist Formerly Known As Michael Bourn

by Michael Levin on Jul 23, 2010 8:12 AM PDT up reply actions  

Teams being intersted in Andre Iguodala isn’t news, we all know he’s a good player, and the best the Sixers have. Trying to project mid-way through this season is difficult. A lot of you seem to think Evan Turner will be a starter-quality NBA player and will make Andre Iguodala redundant. It is just as possible that Evan Turner is a bust with little or no trade value!

Andre’s versatility makes him a valuable piece for a team working towards a championship. But it is also a weakness, since it allows a coach to play him at spots where he’s not in the best position to utilize his abilities. A lot depends on the other team being played, and who the other team chooses to match him with. We are all stil waiting to see if Evan Turner can even play. let alone be versatile enough to play 4 positions.

All else being equal or close, exploiting individual match-ups is the key to winning basketball games, something that was apparently way beyond Eddie Jordan’s understanding. Fortunately this is something that Doug Collins does.

Nothing is better during a game than to see your team continually exploit a weakness that forces the other team to make an adjustment. If a team can’t compete using it’s normal line-up, any adaptation is likely to open up even more chances for your team.

Iguodala is the kind of player you can use to force the other team to adapt to. This makes him a very valuable piece to a smart coach.

by RickoT on Jul 23, 2010 9:11 AM PDT reply actions  

No doubt Iguodala is a very good NBA player. Somewhere in the top 40 in terms of what he brings on the floor.

But teams look at more than that. Especially cheap teams like the Clippers. When a player is going to make 12M/13M/15M/18M over the next 4 years they want that player to be a fan draw, And fairly or not, Iguodala is not seen as a guy who draws fans to pay to watch.

If a team is a contender then they look at basketball ability more than salary. Mediocre teams look for value. bad teams look for potential and salary relief. So this dramatically effects which teams would want Iguodala- and what his value will be to a franchise.

by tk76 on Jul 23, 2010 9:49 AM PDT up reply actions  

Sorry, typo, Iguodala makes 16M his last year.

by tk76 on Jul 23, 2010 9:50 AM PDT up reply actions  

Four positions? Rofl Iguodala as a PG or PF is a joke please stop it.

by packimop on Jul 23, 2010 3:42 PM PDT up reply actions  

Iguodala has a pretty good court vision and passing ability, he’s not an ideal point, but he’s a better back up than any of the current back ups on the roster in my opinion :)

by SportingFanaticism on Jul 23, 2010 3:56 PM PDT up reply actions  

Turner has way better handles already. Iguodala can lead the fast break with the ball in his hands but he can’t run a conventional half court offense as a point guard. Notice you didn’t try to argue that he can play PF. Let’s see him match up with Amare this year. HA

by packimop on Jul 23, 2010 11:36 PM PDT up reply actions  

He can play power forward better than Thaddeus YOung can

by SportingFanaticism on Jul 24, 2010 9:40 AM PDT up reply actions  

It is pretty laughable, especially when RickoT said Turner, and not Igoudala.

We are all stil waiting to see if Evan Turner can even play, let alone be versatile enough to play 4 positions.

I don’t think Turner could play the 4 spot in the NBA at all.

by briztoon on Jul 24, 2010 7:11 AM PDT up reply actions  

Cut n Paste
“During the practices, my son Chris [who is helping out head coach Mike Krzyzewski] said that Dre had defended four different positions [Wednesday]. There were situations where he defended the four [big forward], because in international play, the four is often a smaller guy. I think he’s in a great place. Ever since my first conversation with him out in California after I was hired, things have been terrific. I think things are headed in a real good place.”

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/20100723_Appears_Iguodala_will_not_be_a_Clipper.html

by briztoon on Jul 25, 2010 6:56 AM PDT up reply actions  

It is just as possible that Evan Turner is a bust with little or no trade value!

Based on what? Would you say the same about Wall, Cousins, Favors, Johnson?

How will this year’s #2 overall pick have no trade value this year?

by tk76 on Jul 23, 2010 9:43 AM PDT reply actions  

Easy. It depends on his play obviously. And I might also say the same thing about Johnson.

Wall showed everyone that he could play and it translated well against the Summer league players. Cousins stock went up, because the knock on him was that he was lazy, etc. Obviously he’s not, and he showed every scout who said something bad about him that they were wrong! Favors had one good game, but if you go by the Yahoo article it says that he had a great last game and probably would have done better if he wasn’t playing with a ball hog guard.

Evan Turner has no excuse other than that he wasn’t in shape. He wasn’t able to create his own shot in Summer league and didn’t demonstrate a great handle or the quickness to defend

Note: I AM NOT SAYING EVAN TURNER IS A BUST, what I am saying is that he hasn’t proven he can play yet and some of you have him penciled in as a starter, and playing with enough ability to make Andre Iguodala redundent. That’s possible, but less likely given his most recent performance.

by RickoT on Jul 23, 2010 11:05 AM PDT up reply actions  

He’s pencilled in as a starter because of the existing sixers roster. No one is more qualified to start as the position turner plays than he is, nor are they part of the future success of a quality NBA team (as starters)

As for banging the ‘turner/iguodala can’t play together drum’ – there’s less evidence of that than your assertion of his likelihood of being a bust. There’s not even youtube footage to work with.

by SportingFanaticism on Jul 23, 2010 11:08 AM PDT up reply actions  

Were you worried about Curry being a bust after he stunk it up in Summer League?

Curry played against inferior competition in college and had even greater concerns about his size and athleticism in the NBA.

Fact is, athletes can get by on just that in the Summer league. But skill players can adapt their games, while the Carney’s of the world cannot.

by tk76 on Jul 23, 2010 11:17 AM PDT up reply actions  

We’d be better off with Qyntel Woods and Gerald Green

by Derek Bodner on Jul 23, 2010 11:22 AM PDT up reply actions  

I’d throw a party for Qyntel Woods if he came to Philadelphia. Of course I’d have to supply the heroin and ammunition, but that’s not a problem as I’ve got that in full.

Liberty Ballers / Ridiculous Upside / @TAFKAMikeBourn

The Artist Formerly Known As The Artist Formerly Known As Michael Bourn

by Michael Levin on Jul 23, 2010 11:49 AM PDT up reply actions  

hahaha HALLOW TIPS!!!!

by packimop on Jul 23, 2010 3:45 PM PDT up reply actions  

Let’s go get Marco Belinelli while we’re at it.

by yosoysean on Jul 23, 2010 12:14 PM PDT up reply actions  

Is Belinelli still in the league?

I remember how much people were bitching that the Sixers didn’t do something to get Belinelli. He was going to solve all the team’s shooting woes.

by dweebowitz on Jul 23, 2010 1:12 PM PDT up reply actions  

From Clips NAtion....

how do you say that Eric Gordon aka EJ is (not much defensively)? He is by far the best perimeter defender on the Clips. I know that you do not get a chance to watch the Clips play often but, EJ is a really good defender. I think of the guys to come out of his draft— Mayo, Rose, Westbrook, Augustin, Bayless— EJ is by far the best on the ball defender.

by ChrisS.Oaks on Jul 24, 2010 4:26 AM PDT reply actions  

He’s got tons of tools, but if you looks at his numbers, his Drtg is pretty ugly. His dMULT/dQUAL (while not updated for ‘09-10 here) is a bit better, but with all his skill, he should really be a better defender even in the system he’s played in the past two years.

Liberty Ballers / Ridiculous Upside / @TAFKAMikeBourn

The Artist Formerly Known As The Artist Formerly Known As Michael Bourn

by Michael Levin on Jul 24, 2010 5:05 AM PDT up reply actions  

Thanks for the link...

I still think his skill are better than the players I mention before IMO. I think EJ hit a little bit of a slump last year—- as the whole team did. I think some of his prowess was lost when the moral of the team was sucked out of them mid season. I guess we will see next year. I also get the feeling like the Clipper’s treat EJ as untouchable—- but we all know that anyone is tradable. I enjoyed looking at your article though. THX

by ChrisS.Oaks on Jul 24, 2010 5:46 PM PDT up reply actions  

After coming out as a freshman,

hahaha

Let the Jruth be told.

by guitarmouse35 on Jul 26, 2010 2:47 PM PDT reply actions  


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