FORMER NBA SCORING LEADER IVERSON IN DEMAND AS FREE AGENT

With it all but certain that former NBA scoring leader Alan Iverson won’t return to the Detroit Pistons for the 2009-2010 season, a number of teams have been in touch with the guard for his services.  Until recently, the Miami Heat were considered the front runner to sign Iverson but in the past 48 hours reports suggest that the Los Angeles Clippers, Charlotte Bobcats and Memphis Grizzlies have also entered the race.

Iverson is coming off a disappointing season where back injuries limited him to only 57 games.  He was part of a mid season trade that sent him to Detroit from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Chauncey Billups.  He quickly fell out of favor with the local media as the Pistons struggled to integrate him into their lineup, while Billups and the Nuggets surged to a second place finish in the Western Conference.  Late in the season, he was relegated to the bench as he tried to work his way back into game shape following an extended layoff due to his physical issues.  Iverson was none too happy with this arrangement, and made his displeasure known publically to the media and privately to Pistons’ coaches and management.

In terms of playoff potential, Miami is definitely Iverson’s best option.  The Heat are anxious to put a competitive team on the floor this season in order to convince Dwayne Wade to re-sign with the team.  While Iverson’s ability as a prolific scorer is without question, it raises a very compelling question about how he’ll co-exist with the reigning NBA scoring champion Wade.  While every indication is that the two men respect each other, how both would get enough touches to not cause team friction is a huge issue.  For Iverson, Miami may offer the best opportunity to play on a winning team but would likely offer him less money than any other team in the running for his service.

The remaining teams in the running for Iverson’s services all have a similar goal—keep the fans interested in a potentially losing team trying to rebuild.  Both Charlotte and Memphis are prepared to offer Iverson around $5 million per season, though on Monday Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley indicated in his view Iverson would end up in Miami.  There are also questions how interested Iverson would be in playing in relatively small media markets, though that never posed much of an issue during his time in Denver.

Aside from the Heat, the Clippers may actually present the best situation in terms of winning potential.  They also can offer Iverson the most money—reportedly they’re prepared to offer him their entire $5.8 million midlevel exemption.  The Clippers drafted Blake Griffin with the first overall pick in the NBA draft, and have made some other interesting roster moves.  Iverson would likely find considerable personal motivation playing in the same town as the NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers and facing inevitable personal comparison to Kobe Bryant.

For all of the teams interested in Iverson, there is a pronounced downside risk.  While ‘A.I.’ is a profound talent known for his toughness and resilience, he’s never been branded as a ‘team leader’.  Miami has to worry about the potential battle for shots with Dwayne Wade, while the other three teams need to concern themselves with his influence on their long term personnel development.  He’ll no doubt draw some fan interest initially, but should Iverson end up pouting on a team that is losing that could quickly dissipate.