It won't be the Bulls unless they want to setup an octagon at the practice facility for some Iverson -- Skiles no holds barred ultimate fighting.

I would go with the Timberwolves or Golden State, some smaller market team out West.

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"Stay out of courtrooms-but if you must go in be Well Armed and Don't compromise. You are innocent, remember that. They are guilty" -- Dr. Gonzo

That can't be right as I was just thinking how much the bulls need another guard.

I would be shocked if Skiles approved the acquisition of a player who notoriously refuses to practice.

Anyway, isn't Philly trying to trade AI to a Western Conference team?

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I think a Iverson/Wallace tandem would cause Skiles to have a stroke.

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"Tubby? Oh yes, Tubby."

There’s no way the Bulls would trade for him, but don’t count out Pax working the phones trying to get in on a little 3-way action. The Bulls have what a lot of teams want, young talent & a valuable lottery pick. I doubt it happening, but there’s no reason to think that they couldn’t get involved, as a facilitator, and get something other than AI in return.

With Phillys rear-end exposed it might not hurt to try and get a little of the talent windfall via 3rd party participation, who knows...

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"Stay out of courtrooms-but if you must go in be Well Armed and Don't compromise. You are innocent, remember that. They are guilty" -- Dr. Gonzo

I'm hoping even though it's a long shot for the T-Wolves. I would love to see Garnett and AI play together. I just don't think the Wolves have enough assets to get the deal done. No one wants Ricky Davis and Mark Blount.

I could also see the Warriors as a dark horse. Lot of young talent there. I think AI could probably average 40+ there with the running they do

I still think the Bulls could offer the best package- an expiring contract like Browns, and Hinrich or Gordon. I wouldn't want to give up the Knicks draft pick but I'm sure to Philly that would have to be very exciting.

You have to figure with getting rid of AI it's rebuilding time for sure, so they have to be looking for younger players, draft picks, and expiring contracts

Interesting Updates on the AI front

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=2695408

I'm hearing that Denver/Indiana are the frontrunners, with Sacramento not involved, and GS a possible darkhorse.

According to Silvy, the Bulls are looking to get into this thing as a third party, and looking to trade PJ Brown for Marcus Camby. Works for me! *crosses fingers*

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As long as they can still give extensions to Deng, Gordon, and Noce, I'm on board. But Camby's deal is thru '09-'10 at about $8M/year. He would be a major upgrade over the dead weight that is PJ Brown. I don't think that Denver wants to get rid of him, though.

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"Tubby? Oh yes, Tubby."

I wouldn't be too distraught if they let go of Gordon, assuming they got someone like Camby; I agree on Noce and Deng though, as Deng is really starting to turn it on, and Noce is my favorite NBA player. The thinking is not that Denver would want to get rid of Camby, but that they'd want to get rid of his salary (PJ only has the one year left), the idea being that they'd be bringing it AI. I figure it's a long shot, but I'd be one smiling motherfucker if this went down.

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The landowner effectively owns part shares in millions of part-time slaves called, "taxpayers." -Roy L
A Personal Relationship with Jesus?

Denver wouldn't be getting PJ...Philly would.
It would probably work something like this:

Philly sends AI to Denver
Denver sends JR Smith, a midlevel type of contract, and one or two draft picks to Philly
Denver sends Camby to the Bulls
Bulls send PJ to philly

The reason that Philly would want PJ over Camby is for the expiring contract.

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"Tubby? Oh yes, Tubby."

Don't discredit a guy who averages 18/game coming off your bench. He's been their go to guy during crunch time for the last 2.5 years. If he's gone, the Bulls don't have anybody that can fill that void yet. Deng might be able to, but he's not there yet.

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"Tubby? Oh yes, Tubby."

Oh, don't get me wrong; I'm a fan of Gordon. It's just that this team is guard-heavy, and I have to think he's going to command some coin. In my mind, someone's going to have to go eventually, and the way the team is set up, it may have to be Gordon anyways.

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The landowner effectively owns part shares in millions of part-time slaves called, "taxpayers." -Roy L
A Personal Relationship with Jesus?

I wouldn't say they are guard heavy. They have four guards that see the floor (Gordon, Hinrich, Duhon, Thabo). They need to have 4 guards in their rotation most nights, especially with Hinrich's propensity for fouling.

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"Tubby? Oh yes, Tubby."

Why would Denver be willing to move Marcus Camby ????

Secondly, what is Camby's contract ?

To get Iverson.


He signed a 6-year, $45 million contract in '04. Apparently, likely bonuses have him at ~$57 million.

Source.

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The landowner effectively owns part shares in millions of part-time slaves called, "taxpayers." -Roy L
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Plus, Philly won't deal Iverson if they're not getting an expiring contract. I don't think that Denver has any attractive expiring contracts, so that's why they have to get a third party involved. The Bulls will only get rid of one of their expiring contracts if their getting good value in return...Camby, his talent, and the remaining 3.5 years on his deal is a pretty good trade for giving up PJ and his expiring contract.

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"Tubby? Oh yes, Tubby."

It works out mathematically, but Denver will probably be looking for more than that. Brown for Camby straight up is quite a lopsided deal, despite the salary ramifications for all parties involved. The Bulls aren't the only team in the league with an expiring contract to move. If the Nuggets handle this right, there's no reason for them to get fleeced that badly.

So, let's just say Denver/Philly were to go for this, what would be the trade be ?

Chicago trade PJ Brown for Marcus Camby
Denver trade PJ Brown and ????? for Allen Iverson
Philadelphia acquires Brown and ?????


*****

1) Denver has said they wouldn't move Camby - can they not make a deal for Iverson without involving Camby ?

2) If the Bulls were to acquire Camby, what does that mean for the future of Gordon/Deng and Nocioni ?

- Denver would also throw in an expiring contract like Joe Smith, a youngster like JR Smith, and one or both of their 2 late 1st rd picks in the 07 draft.

- Philly would get Brown, Smith, Smith, and a couple of mediocre picks.

- Chicago would get Camby for Brown straight up.

I have a hard time seeing it go down this way. The Bulls would make out like bandits. The Nuggets would pay a hefty price and be left with a thin rotation of players. The Sixers would get cap space next year, a decent young player on the wing, but would not get more ammo for the Greg Oden hunt since both picks from Denver are projected to be late (the Nuggets have their own pick plus Dallas' pick).

The whole thing would work out more smoothly if:

A) Denver had a chance in hell of moving either Nene's or KDdidit Martin's contract instead of Camby, the one player they want to keep.

B) The 3rd team involved in the trade had a lottery pick to send to Philly (in this case, the Bulls do, but aren't getting enough out of the deal to justify using it).

My guess would be nothing, as I doubt Pax would go after Camby if it meant losing one of those three.

Though, I would definitely brace yourself for the possibility of losing Nocioni, regardless. If another team wants to offer him a big check next summer, the Bulls are already investing heavily in Deng & Tyrus at the position, so Noce could be the odd man out. I'd hate to see him go, but I certainly won't be outraged if that's the way it plays out.

Brown wants out of Chicago
He goes public with unhappiness as Bull

One day after the Tribune reported Bulls general manager John Paxson had offered P.J. Brown for Denver's Marcus Camby as part of a three-way trade involving Philadelphia's Allen Iverson, Brown took his unhappiness public.

"I don't expect to be a Bull too much longer," Brown said Friday after the Bulls' victory over Milwaukee. "I'm just hoping it can be over as soon as possible. I think it's unfair with the way the team is playing right now. They don't need a distraction."

Brown, who missed his second straight game with a strained right plantar fascia, has had trouble adjusting to inconsistent playing time and his family is said to be unhappy in Chicago.

A league source said Mark Bartelstein, Brown's longtime Chicago-based agent, has made Brown's unhappiness clear to Paxson.

Brown's expiring $8 million contract could become attractive near the February trade deadline. But Brown's decision to go public could force Paxson's hand earlier.

The 13-year veteran, acquired last summer in the deal that sent Tyson Chandler to Oklahoma City/New Orleans, is known as one of the game's classier players. So he chose his words carefully.

"Something like this can hang around the team and linger around," Brown said. "So hopefully it will be done and over with as soon as possible."

I wouldn't be outraged, but I'd certainly be heartbroken. Nocioni is my favorite player; he truly epitomizes the blue-collar style Chicago is supposed to have. But I can't disagree with what you said; I have the feeling he's going to command some serious salary when the time comes. I'm hoping against hope the Bulls can find a way to make it work.

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The landowner effectively owns part shares in millions of part-time slaves called, "taxpayers." -Roy L
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It's only Doc Rivers, but I thought this was interesting in regards to Nocioni.

Rivers is bullish on Nocioni

I always thought I was chapter chairman of the Andres Nocioni Fan Club. But it turns out Celtics coach Doc Rivers is a card-carrying, dues-paying member as well.

"The guy knows how to play basketball, and, to me, that is something missing in our league," Rivers said of the Bulls forward. "If there's one guy in this league who reminds me of Dave Cowens, it's Nocioni.

"He plays extremely hard. He's unbelievable to guard. He makes shots from the outside. He dives on the floor. He takes charges. He does all the dirty work. He's physical. He's nasty. He's intense. He never stops moving.

"Those are all the things Dave Cowens did, and if you look around our league, I don't know if there's anyone else like that. That's what makes Nocioni a nightmare, every night, to match up against. No one wants to play them because of him.

"Sure, their guards are great. But Nocioni makes that team."

Couldn't have said it any better myself.

The Celtics get their first look at Nocioni, plus Ben "No Headband" Wallace, and the rest of the Bulls tomorrow night in Chicago .

No doubt. Good find. I especially liked this:

So true. I've always said that Nocioni is great because he often takes the guy he's guarding out of the game, and sometimes the entire team. He shoots well, he can drive to the bucket, he can play defense, but most of all, he's a Chris-Berman-level irritant on the court.

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The landowner effectively owns part shares in millions of part-time slaves called, "taxpayers." -Roy L
A Personal Relationship with Jesus?

Looks like it's over....

Andre Miller, Joe Smith, and 2 1st round picks to Philly, Iverson to Nuggets

Damn, someone couldn't have put together a better package than that???? Miller is pretty good, but Smith is on his last legs, and their 2 picks probably aren't going to be all that great

You guys have to realize something. Very few teams wanted Iverson. Plus very few teams had the money to make it happen. Philly had to take what they could.

It's more then what they get. You have to understand that by trading him they guarentee themselves to have the worst reccord. Witch means they have the best chance to get Oden. That's a hell of a start to begin rebuilding.

I see AI taking over the team while Carmelo is out for a month, and the two of them butting heads after the suspension is over.

This will hurt the Nuggets this season unless AI decides to accept the sidekick (like Shaq did in Miami) role to prove to everyone that he can be a team player .

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