Exclusive: "I know when we almost traded Allen Iverson" - Former Sixers and Nets GM on crazy deal that never materialized during his time in NBA

The Philadelphia 76ers nearly traded Allen Iverson to the Detroit Pistons in the summer of 2000.

Before Allen Iverson led the Philadelphia 76ers to the 2001 NBA Finals against the LA Lakers, the point guard was nearly traded. AI’s contentious relationship with then-head coach Larry Brown nearly forced the team to move him.

In the summer of 2000, the Detroit Pistons, who were bound to lose superstar Grant Hill in free agency, wanted a franchise player. “The Answer” would have been what the doctor ordered for Motor City had it not been a quirk in negotiations that torpedoed the whole affair.

Former Philadelphia 76ers GM Billy King appeared on Sportskeeda’s exclusive “Inside The Huddle” podcast and recalled the events of that time. From around the 14-min mark, here's what he recalled on the podcast (video shared below):

“I know when we almost traded Allen!...It was the offseason before 2001. At that point it was like, ‘Larry [Brown], it wasn’t gonna work.’ We had a deal on the table that took weeks to get.

“It ended up being 18 players and four different teams…We finally got to a point where everybody agreed. Then Detroit said, ‘Wait a minute, you got guys in the deal that we were announcing we were getting rid of...Unless Matt Geiger waives his trade kicker. And then Matt said 'No' and that’s how the deal fell apart."

The Pistons nearly traded for Allen Iverson in 2000. It fell through because Matt Geiger declined waive his trade kicker.

For my third what-if, I looked at how different history would be if Iverson joined the Pistons eight years earlier. freep.com/story/sports/n…

The failed negotiations that would have brought Allen Iverson to Motor City ended up being the right move for both Philly and Detroit. AI stayed and won his only MVP award that season. Matt Geiger, who was responsible for the botched trade, became a crucial part of Philly’s rotation.

The 2000-01 Philadelphia 76ers punched above their weight and won the Eastern Conference finals to set-up a showdown against the mighty LA Lakers. Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant were just starting their dynasty in the NBA when Iverson carried the Sixers to the finals that year.

Detroit, on the other hand, built their championship core starting with the Ben Wallace trade. The Pistons would add Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace to rule the East after Iverson’s 76ers faded.

Also Checkout:- Allen Iverson Net Worth (Updated 2022)

"Whoever we gave him, he believed he could win with" - Billy King on Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson gave the Philadelphia 76ers everything he got. [Photo: The Sixer Sense]

It is quite common in the modern NBA for superstars to force franchises to make a trade or two to bolster their teams’ championship hopes. For instance, LeBron James pushed the Lakers to get Anthony Davis, while Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving influenced the Brooklyn Nets to acquire James Harden.

Billy King never experienced that with Allen Iverson in all their years together with the Philadelphia 76ers. According to King, AI was always confident of delivering a championship regardless of the quality of his teammates:

“Allen, not once in my time with them did he ever come and say, ‘Go get this guy or I need this.’ Every season he would say, ‘This is the best roster, these are the best teammates’ because he believed in his abilities that whoever we gave him, he believed he could win with.”

Kobe Bryant on Allen Iverson: "He's the greatest competitor I've played against other than Michael." slam.ly/pho1n5

“He never once said, ‘These guys can’t play, you gotta go get me this guy or that guy.’ He was ready to go to war with whoever was suited up to play with him… That’s how much belief he had in his abilities. He didn’t look at and say, ‘I gotta go and play someplace else to win a championship. He always tried to do it here.”

.@alleniverson: The ultimate competitor. Carried @Sixers to 2001 NBA Finals and transcended the game to the way it is now played. Fearless!

Philly lost to the LA Lakers in Iverson’s only appearance in the NBA Finals. Despite failing to win the title, Allen Iverson’s will to win and competitive fire made him a fan favorite.