Nuggets to trade Iverson to the Pistons for Billups

The NBA wires are ablaze this morning as it is being reported that the Denver Nuggets will trade their star guard Allen Iverson to the Detroit Pistons for a package including Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb. I'm a bit in shock myself, as you would've thought that this deal could've been consumated in the offseason, and not just one week deep into the season. Here's how I see this deal breaking down.

For the Pistons:
While this Pistons group has had a great deal of success together, their ability to get over the hump in recent years has been a major point of frustration. Bringing in Iverson would give the Pistons a hard-nosed guard who is a prolific scorer and relentless competitor. I wouldn't be surprised if an extra edge is added to Iverson's attitude when he is playing for a legitimate title contender. How Iverson will mesh in with this team will be interesting. The Pistons have largely played within the team concept, catering to several players who can be considered "stars." But Iverson is a different beast altogether. He is a volume-shooter, and he has been for his entire career. Still, Iverson did show that he could co-exist with another volume-shooter in Carmelo Anthony, and I'm sure the Pistons will be able to integrate him into their system. I view this as a last-ditch effort for the Pistons to win a championship with this core group. They know their window is beginning to close, so bringing in a still highly capable Iverson should give them a boost. This is also a somewhat low-risk deal for the Pistons, as if it doesn't work out Iverson's hefty contract will be off the books at the end of this season, and they always have the up-and-coming Rodney Stuckey to fall back on.

For the Nuggets:
The Nuggets also have something to be excited about in this trade. By acquiring Chauncey Billups, they bring back a hometown favorite who is (more importantly) a pure point guard. He is a stellar floor general who has a solid post up game and the ability to stretch defenses with his pure shooting. Anthony should highly benefit by having a facilitator like Billups in the lineup. Nuggets fans are also familiar with McDyess, who had some of his best years in Denver. McDyess is still an effective player in this league, and he will be welcomed with open arms to one of the thinnest frontcourt teams in the West. I think that the combination of the two players could make the Nuggets a stronger team this season, but I still think they will be battling for that final playoff spot in the West.

UPDATE: It's official