Hot on the heels of the rumored Andre Iguodala for Monta Ellis trade, comes another rumor involving the Sixers shipping their small forward off to the west coast. ESPN is reporting that the Sixers have been in talks with the Clippers about a trade involving Iguodala for center Chris Kaman.
The Clippers have long maintained that the only scenario that would convince them to part with Kaman -- whose career has been plagued by injuries but who had an All-Star season in 2010 -- is getting an elite small forward in return.
Iguodala's athleticism and defensive skills would figure to mesh well alongside star power forward Blake Griffin and young center DeAndre Jordan. The Clippers are determined to keep Jordan over Kaman as their center of the future as Jordan heads for restricted free agency.
The 7 foot Kaman would bring the Sixers some much needed size and he is in the final year of his deal. So, the impetus of this move would really be to clear the $44 million Iguodala is owed over the next three years off the books. With Elton Brand's contract coming off the books after the 2012 season, the Sixers would actually be in a position to spend real money on free agents at that point.
ESPN's Marc Stein reports that Iguodala "loves" the idea of a trade to the Clippers, but that LA would have give up more than just Kaman to get the Sixers to make the deal.
The question is of course, whether they want to take a step back in the meantime. Iguodala is without a doubt more useful to this team right now than the oft-injured Chris Kaman is likely to be.
This flurry of rumors about Iguodala certainly lend creedence to Ric Bucher's assertion that Andre will be traded before July 1st.