Cavaliers haven't given up yet on pursuit of Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala: NBA Insider
By Brian Windhorst, The Plain Dealer
January 30, 2010, 8:55PM
— Brian WindhorstCLEVELAND, Ohio -- Since the season started, the Cavaliers have been linked to a seemingly endless string of names in the trade market, the below-the-surface entity that dominates front offices these days and obsesses fans.
First there was Stephen Jackson, a player the Cavs tried and failed to acquire from Golden State in November. Then it was Troy Murphy and Antawn Jamison, two good-shooting big men who are still very much in play but seem increasingly unlikely. It was followed by Amare Stoudemire, where the teams had talked but the interest wasn't true.
Now comes the next, Andre Iguodala, the current Philadelphia 76ers franchise player who was regarded as untouchable just a year ago but is now the centerpiece of a salary-cap hamstrung team only staying out of last place because of the New Jersey Nets.
First come the facts. According to several league sources, the Cavs and Sixers have been in talks about Iguodala. The talks remain open and it is still possible the Cavs could trade for him, contrary to other reports at the end of the last week. At this point, however, the two sides are just in discussion and have not progressed to the serious stage.
The Sixers are probably at that stage with a lot of teams. Over the last several weeks, when the Sixers actually starting making calls offering Iguodala, some teams were taken off guard. They had not done research into Iguodala because recently it didn't seem sensible. After all, it was less than two years ago that the Sixers signed Iguodala to a six-year, $80 million deal and hoped he'd mature into an perennial All-Star.
So far it hasn't happened. The Sixers are facing a huge loss in revenue from last year -- numbers leaked last summer showed their projected season ticket revenue down more than 35 percent -- and a very deep reduction from two seasons ago. They are one of the few teams whose payroll right now is going to be higher next year than this because the maturing of contracts given to Elton Brand and Samuel Dalembert, neither of which have paid off.
That is why Iguodala and the four years and $56 million left on his contract are being offered around and why the Cavs, one of the handful of teams who would actually consider taking on such a contract in this climate, are in the mix.
There are a couple of factors at play here. One is that after this trade deadline the expiring contract of Zydrunas Ilgauskas won't have value in a trade. It potentially could be their last chance to upgrade via trade for a while.
But then there's Ilgauskas' situation. It has been often written that Ilgauskas can be traded and then bought out of his contract and permitted to return to the Cavs in 30 days. That is possible, but the Cavs cannot construct such a deal. They cannot talk to Ilgauskas about it beforehand and they cannot force a team to release him.
If the NBA sniffed anything different, they could invalidate any transaction.
"No one has said anything to me about [buyouts]," Ilgauskas said. "I don't really even know how anything like that works."
In trading Ilgauskas, especially for a guard like Iguodala, the Cavs would leave themselves vulnerable. They traded for Shaquille O'Neal so they would be big enough to play with the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers. If they weren't able to get him or another quality center like him back, they would leave themselves open.
But then there is the prospect of getting a player like Iguodala on the cheap. This is the kind of deal the Cavs like to pull. Willingness to take on salary got them O'Neal for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic. And Mo Williams for Damon Jones and Joe Smith.
Iguodala is like a younger version of Jackson, who they missed out on. He's just an average shooter but a strong defender, rebounder and distributor for someone at his size (6-6) and position. This year, a terrible season for the 76ers, he's averaging a career high in rebounds (6.8) and assists (5.7). He's also shown good leadership skills.
Those are all desirable traits, but he's the type of player that it may take a while for the Cavs to adjust to. Right now, as they are on a seven-game win streak and display their depth nightly, this acquisition might not make sense.
Iguodala and the Cavs? It is complex, to be sure. But it is also quite possible.
