Lost in the shuffle of all the Allen Iverson trade talk and rumors is that the 76ers have firmly positioned themselves to retain a 2007 draft pick that they owed the Warriors. Chris Sheridan broke this down in his chat last week on ESPN.com:
Jordan (Sandy): Here is one theory for you - The sixers say they want to trade AI and are actively pursuing one but they will not pull the trigger, because they want this team to be so bad that they are guarantedd the first pick in the Oden sweepstakes. What would make that even cooler is if he stays in school for a few more years. It's just my theory because this is taking a really long time to get this done. ?
Chris Sheridan: Not a bad theory, Jordan, for the following reason: The Sixers have to give Golden State their 2007 first-round pick if it's anywhere from 15-30. If it's 1-15, they not only get to keep it, but they also no longer have the obligation to convey at future No. 1 to Golden State. They only have to give them $1 million instead. So there's definitely an incentive there for the Sixers to tank this season, but I don't think that's going to make them hang onto Iverson through the entire season as you suggest. They still want to get rid of him asap.
Philly currently "boasts" a 5-18 record "good for" a .217 winning percentage. Behind the Memphis Grizzlies the 76ers have the worst record in the league. The Sixers are in tank-mode and are doing an excellent job at it. It's safe to say that the Warriors can kiss that 76er 2007 first-round pick goodbye. If the 76ers made the playoffs this season and netted a pick number 15 or higher in the 2k7 draft, it would be more shocking than seeing the Warriors win the NBA title this year. In a typical NBA Draft this wouldn't be of that great consequence, but in this draft even a non-lottery pick is valuable (check out the latest mock draft from NBADraft.net).
Look on the bright side though. Warrior owner Chris Cohan is going to be $1,000,000 richer- oh wait! If the Warriors miss the playoffs for a 13th straight time this season, let's hope Cohan decides to use some of that green to fund an apology letter in the papers that he actually signs.
Do you think there's any chance that the Warriors will be able to retain the 76ers' 2007 draft pick?