Sixers ship Iverson to Denver

The Sixers received guard Andre Miller, forward Joe Smith and a pair of first-round draft picks in return for the enigmatic superstar as well as seldom-used forward Ivan McFarlin.

The deal comes just one day after Denver’s Carmelo Anthony, the NBA’s leading scorer, was suspended for 15 games. Iverson is currently second in the league in scoring.

It also ends an often turbulent 10 seasons with a franchise that made Iverson the No. 1 overall pick in 1996.

A seven-time All Star and four-time scoring champion, Iverson turned the Sixers from lottery regulars to a championship contender. The Sixers came close in 2001 when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, but since then the team has fallen off, missing the playoffs twice in the last three seasons.

The team then hit rock bottom this season. Only Memphis (5-19) has a worse record than the 5-18 Sixers, who are winless since November 24.

Iverson’s relationship with the Sixers’ braintrust was irrevocably breached when he asked for a trade during the dry spell. Iverson’s request came after being fined for missing a team bowling function after he argued with his head coach, Maurice Cheeks, at a shootaround earlier that same day.

The Sixers sent Iverson home for good and removed his nameplate, cleaned out his locker and removed his highlights out of the team’s pregame video package.

Iverson was leading the league in scoring at 31.2 points when he was exiled from the team and he’s averaged a gaudy 28.1 points, 6.1 assists and 2.3 steals in 697 career games.

The key to the deal on the Sixers end is the two first round picks in the 2007 draft as well as the expiring contract of Smith. Philadelphia will receive Denver’s own draft choice and a pick the Nuggets acquired from Dallas.

Miller is averaging 13 points per game and 9.1 assists in 23 games for Denver this season and will take over as Philadelphia’s point guard. In 594 career games, Miller has scored 14.1 points per contest and 7.6 assists per game.