Allen Iverson traded to Detroit
Tuesday, November 4, 2008 10:08 AM PST
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| Denver’s Allen Iverson (center) goes up for a shot as Los Angeles Clippers forward Al Thornton (left) guards and Clippers guard Cuttino Mobley looks on during the first half of their NBA basketball game, Friday in Los Angeles. |
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons worked the phones last summer, trying to trade for a superstar to shake up their roster.
They ended up standing pat because a deal didn’t make sense.
Two games into the season, Allen Iverson was the answer to their hopes in a blockbuster that generated rare buzz for the NBA in November.
Detroit acquired the former NBA MVP on Monday for All-Star point guard and former finals MVP Chauncey Billups, top reserve Antonio McDyess and project Cheikh Samb.
‘‘We just felt it was the right time to change our team,’’ Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars told The Associated Press. ‘‘Iverson gives us a dimension that we haven’t had here and we really think it’s going to help us.’’
The Pistons have reached six straight Eastern Conference finals — the longest such streak since the Los Angeles Lakers’ dominant run in the 1980s — and won the 2004 title without a player expected to be in the Hall of Fame.
‘‘Trading Marilyn Monroe for Jane Russell. That’s not bad,’’ said Larry Brown, who coached the Pistons to the 2004 NBA title and Iverson in Philadelphia. ‘‘Joe knows what he’s doing, and I’m happy Chauncey’s going back to Denver and his family is there.’’
Iverson may not be around for long — making $20.8 million in the final season of his contract — but The Answer might be what Detroit needs to return to the NBA finals for the first time since 2005.
The Pistons are hoping Iverson will play Wednesday at Toronto.
Iverson talked about the possibility of being traded during training camp and said the only negative would be uprooting his family again.
