Allen Iverson One of Five People To Think Memphis Sounds Nice

Allen Iverson needs to lay low for a while.

After establishing himself as a potential Hall of Fame guard, with offensive skills never before seen in the league and establishing himself as a perennial winner who's only flaw was that he was surrounded by insufficient backup, the last year has done a lot to tarnish that reputation. After being traded to Detroit he was an outright disaster, unable to find his place in the offense or in the locker room. Meanwhile the guard he was traded for, Chauncey Billups, lead his team to the Conference Finals.

As a free agent this summer, Iverson needs to go somewhere quietly and rebuild his image, much the same way that his old coach Larry Brown has in Charlotte. But it might be another small market team Iverson ends up with. One that now features an... eclectic makeup of personalities.

Iverson might be headed South for the Winter.

The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that sources have indicated that there's a possibility Iverson could end up with the Grizzlies, only days after they traded for notorious leader, contributor, and all-around boy scout Zach Randolph. The crazy part is that the suggestion doesn't seem to be stemming from the Grizzlies looking to land a big free agent with the oodles of cap space they have.

No, instead it suggests that Iverson is the one seeking out Memphis.

For Iverson, the fit seems pretty natural. It's a comfortable situation. It's taking a demotion to a position you know absolutely you can fill without having to get too stressed out. He can come in, lead the team in scoring, do what he wants since the roster is so young, bully the coach who's not exactly coming in with tons of clout, and pick up a nice payday in a city that might fit his personal interests well.

For the Grizzlies? Of course it doesn't make sense. Iverson is a two guard that needs the ball in his hands at all times. So is O.J. Mayo. He's likely to be a bad influence on the young Mayo, Rudy Gay, and Mike Conley. He will sap their precious cap space, forcing them to cut more salary at some point or another, likely sacrificing future flexibility.

But then, there was no reason for the Zach Randolph trade either. Bringing in Iverson gives them two names they can use to sell tickets. And if the team underperforms? Who cares? the only people suffering are the fans who have to watch two of the most combustible locker room issue players in the league ingite in an inferno that consumes the franchise.

All in all, I'd figure if this report is true, odds are 70/30 Wallace does it. Because otherwise, it wouldn't be Memphis.