Stop the Madness... In Philly?

The time has come to put an end to the madness. Someone must trade for Ron Artest. The media, the league and the players have all been consumed with thoughts of Artest. It is as though Christmas won’t come until Satan, I mean Santa, drops Ronny off on somebody’s doorstep. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers are struggling half of the time and looking brilliant the other half. If Allen Iverson and Chris Webber are going to make a last stand as fading NBA superpowers, they are going to need a little bit of a boost.

Enter Artest. Trading for a superstar rarely works out, but sometimes when a troubled player needs a change of scenery, a trade to a team that is almost a contender provides the motivation necessary for conscious play. Rasheed Wallace provides a perfect example of this type of player. He was horribly troubled in Portland. Bill Walton was calling him the worst thing in the history of the NBA, much in the same way he refers to Artest. Then through way of Atlanta, Wallace was traded to Detroit. The Pistons had an already strong locker room and Wallace’s presence wasn’t negative enough to disrupt it. In fact, He proved to be the missing piece in the Pistons championship team.

Artest could potentially fill this role for the Sixers. Iverson and Webber have to be desperate as anyone to win a championship. While other stars are busy looking disinterested in the game, those two are working hard and pushing their old bodies to the physical limits. Adding Artest to the equation could be the spark the Sixers need to take them to that land that both Webber and Iverson have been so close to before.

Logistically the Sixers would have to make the Pacers an aggressive offer, but they have the young talent to do it. It would be difficult for the Pacers to down a trade of Andre Iguodala, Jamal Mashburn’s expiring contract and a draft pick for Artest and Scott Pollard. Iguodala is a similar player to Artest defensively. Though he is not the perimeter maverick that Artest is, someday soon he could be. That is great for the Sixers, but they need help immediately and that would be Artest. Artest would also allow Kyle Korver to play as more of a spot up shooter and help mask his defensive shortcomings. Artest’s offensive prowess would provide the Sixers with an added punch as well. Mashburn’s max-level contract would expire at the end of the season and much of it would likely be picked up by insurance so the Pacers wouldn’t have to foot the bill for too much of it. Loosing the draft pick would hurt the Sixers, but would it sting as badly if they were able to win a championship? This trade makes sense for the Pacers because it helps clear cap room, provides them with an exciting young player with tons of upside in Iguodala and gives them a draft pick. It is a trade that would make sense for both teams.

If the 76er’s are going to be aggressive enough to trade for Chris Webber, they need to be aggressive enough to surround him and Iverson with the best possible support. Adding Ron Artest would ensure those two have the best possible support. It is the gutsy move that every team near the top should look to make. If the Sixers can acquire Artest, they just might have enough firepower to create something magical and win a championship.