What if the Minnesota Timberwolves traded for Allen Iverson in 2006?
By Ben Beecken
Allen Iverson’s reported desire to be traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves back in 2006 came up again recently, and it brings to mind one of the more easily-forgotten what-ifs in franchise history.
If the Wolves had been able to land Iverson before he was ultimately shipped to the Denver Nuggets, how might the history of the Wolves — and Kevin Garnett — have been shaped differently?
What if the Minnesota Timberwolves traded for Allen Iverson in 2006?
The topic of Iverson and the Timberwolves came up again this week in a revisit of a conversation from a few years ago between Adrian Wojnarowski and former Philadelphia 76ers general manager Billy King.
King mentions that the LA Clippers, the Timberwolves, and the Nuggets were the three teams that Iverson was willing to be traded to, with the Wolves piquing Iverson’s interest because of the presence of Garnett. There was certainly momentum towards a deal, with media outlets surmising that Iverson would end up in the Twin Cities, including Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune.
Ultimately, Iverson was sent to the Nuggets, but what would have happened if ended up in Minnesota?
What would the Minnesota Timberwolves have traded to land Allen Iverson?
What the Wolves could offer in exchange for Iverson was the biggest issue, of course. Iverson was making $17.1 million during the 2006-07 season, with another $40 million on the books over the next two seasons.
Outside of Garnett, the Wolves didn’t have a single salary over Mark Blount’s $7.2 million. Blount wasn’t likely to be moved because of the remaining years and salary on the deal, however, and finding enough desirable salary to come close to matching Iverson’s was the primary challenge.
The Sixers would have wanted rookie guard Randy Foye as the centerpiece of any deal, but he only made $2.4 million. The Wolves could have added in veteran guard Mike James and his $5.2 million, and perhaps Ricky Davis and his $6.3 million would have been on the table as well.
The Wolves would have needed to add in at least two first-round picks and the 76ers would have struggled to create the roster space for all the incoming players, so it certainly would not have been easy.
But when considering the return that the Sixers received from Denver, it’s not far-fetched to think that the Wolves offer could have come close. The Nuggets sent Philadelphia guard Andre Miller, former Wolf Joe Smith, and a pair of first-round picks in exchange for Iverson and Ivan McFarlin.
Miller was a fantastic player in the prime of his career and was in the midst of a multi-year contract, but he wasn’t an All-Star-caliber player and was always best-served as the second or third-best player on a roster.
Sure enough, the Sixers finished with win totals of 35, 40, and 41 in Miller’s three seasons in Philadelphia, losing in the first round of the playoffs twice.
A Wolves offer of Foye, James, and a couple of other contracts plus a pair of first-rounders should have rivaled the Nuggets’ offer.