NBA Sunday: Iverson Done in Memphis?

By: Joel Brigham Last Updated: 11/8/09 8:49 AM ET | 4518 times read

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Is Anybody Surprised About A.I.?

One game into his career as a Memphis Grizzly, Allen Iverson was already complaining about playing time and his role on the team. Three games into his career as a Memphis Grizzly, he requested a leave of absence from the team for personal reasons. Now, ESPN.com's Chad Ford is wondering if he'll ever be back.

Granted, Memphis owner Michael Heisley, who granted Iverson the leave of absence, has gone on record as saying his big-name back-up shooting guard has a legitimate personal family thing to deal with and that's why he's leaving, but knowing how upset Iverson has been playing just over 22 minutes a night in his three appearances, the question of whether or not he returns is certainly a good one.

This is the way it almost had to be, though. When the signing was made a lot of really smart NBA people had a hard time wrapping their heads around the wisdom of such a move. After all, the two best up-and-comers on the Memphis roster play the same position as Iverson, and why would you want to take shots and minutes away from Rudy Gay or O.J. Mayo just to keep Iverson in the spotlight on a one-year contract? It didn't make sense, and luckily for the Grizzlies' two rising stars, Iverson's arrival hasn't cost them anything in terms of further development.

But seeing how things ended for A.I. in Detroit, where is unhappiness in coming off the bench was much-publicized, even long after he left the team, would anybody be surprised if Iverson didn't come back?

Trading him to solve this problem would not be as easy as some might think. Even though his contract is relatively small at just over $3 million, it doesn't seem as though any GMs are interested in bringing in a guy that's caused distractions for his last two teams. Few teams have a need for a guy that has to play 35+ minutes a game and dominate the offense because they're either already set and successful as they are, or they're young and rebuilding and trying to get ample minutes for the bucks their developing. There was no place for him as a free agent, when he could be had without giving up anything but money, so there's certainly no place for him now when teams would have to give up assets to bring him in.

Not only that, but because he was just signed as a free agent over the summer, he can't be moved until December 15^th. So if he does hope to be traded, it's going to be over a month still before that can happen.

The bottom line is that even if Iverson comes back to the team ready to play, he's never going to be happy coming off the bench and playing limited minutes behind Gay and Mayo. So many people scratched their heads at this signing when it happened, and now there's certainly a sense of "I Told You So" in the air regarding this whole situation.

But perhaps the most pity should be doled out to all those Memphis faithful who spent their hard-earned money on Allen Iverson Grizzly jerseys. Three games isn't really worth their money, either.

If Not Charlotte for S-Jax, Then Where?

Despite reports that the Charlotte Bobcats were interested in disgruntled Warriors guard Stephen Jackson, HOOPSWORLD's Alex Raskin is reporting that such a deal is unlikely to take place.

Even ESPN.com's Ric Bucher is saying that Jackson would be pretty vocal in avoiding such a deal. In Bucher's words, going from Golden State to Charlotte would be "akin to switching chairs on the Titanic." Clever, right?

So the real question we have to ask is what team is next on the S-Jax checklist of potential suitors? Cleveland seems out for now (though that might change if their home woes continue), and Charlotte apparently never was even a real possibility, so who's next?

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Bucher says Miami, and from Jackson's point of view that would be a pretty solid fit. Assuming the HEAT were willing to take on Jackson's big contract, which increases in value every season for the next three years, they could probably get it done right now for the expiring contract of Udonis Haslem.

From there you could do a number of things with Jackson. Either you start him at small forward and start Michael Beasley at the power forward spot (where he belongs), or you could just stick Jackson and Dwyane Wade in the backcourt together and let them take turns bringing the ball up the floor. S-Jax certainly has experience running the point in Golden State, and he's a guy that plays a number of positions. Miami would find a spot for him, and he'd likely do well there.

Of course, take this all with a grain of salt because Stephen Jackson rumors are this NBA season's equivalent of the Flavor of the Week. We won't hear the end of it until something gets done, but for now it looks like Charlotte is out as a serious suitor, and the Miami HEAT may have taken their place on the list.

About the Author: JOEL BRIGHAM
Joel Brigham is a member of the Professional Basketball Writers Association and has covered the NBA for HOOPSWORLD for three years, powering HOOPSWORLD.COM.

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