Trade Talk: Billups for Iverson

by Marcel Mutoni

When both Larry Brown and Allen Iverson were still in Philly, Iverson was thisclose to becoming a member of the Detroit Pistons. The only thing that stopped the blockbuster was apparently Matt Geiger’s refusal to re-work a trade kicker for the deal to work within the salary cap.

Well, Geiger is too busy playing around his helipad these days to affect NBA trades, and there have reportedly been talks about a potential deal between Detroit and Denver involving their two star guards.

From the Boston Globe:

NBA sources said the Nuggets have inquired about obtaining Denver native Chauncey Billups from the Pistons for Allen Iverson. Because of Iverson’s lucrative contract ($20.8 million) it would take more than Billups ($11 million), though.

At first glance, the logic to this rumored trade proposal is a bit hard to understand – Billups is signed through the 2011 season; Iverson, meanwhile, becomes a free agent next summer. Are the Pistons willing to pay Allen an enormous sum after he becomes a free agent, or would they let him walk and simply hand over the keys to the back-court over to Rodney Stuckey?

Anyway, what do you guys think?