Tue, Dec 19, 2006 at 12:00am

"THE ANSWER" IS DENVER

The Denver Nuggets acquired guard Allen Iverson and forward Ivan McFarlin from the Philadephia 76ers for guard Andre Miller, forward Joe Smith and two first-round draft picks in 2007.

What does it give the Denver Nuggets
The NBA's second-leading scorer in Iverson (at 31.2 points per game) to go with the NBA's leading scorer in Carmelo Anthony (31.6). McFarlin is a relatively raw forward prospect who doesn't play much. As far as The Answer goes, this move not only helps the Nuggets significantly in the short term (since Anthony is out for 15 games along with Denver's second-leading scorer, J.R. Smith, who's out for 10) but it also gives them a legitimate long-term shot at a title. Along with Anthony, Marcus Camby, Smith, and Nene Hilario, the Nuggets now have potentially the most talented nucleus in the NBA. At age 31 Iverson still probably has a couple of elite seasons left, and he'll definitely score more than Miller did. He may also actually be a better team fit than Miller was, as the latter point guard was sometimes known for being a loner during his time in Denver.

What does it give the Philadelphia 76ers
An elite pass-first point guard in Miller, a solid back-up big-man in Smith, and a couple of prized picks for the future. This is a bit of an odd deal for the Sixers, because Miller, while talented, is somewhat renowned for being hard to get along with and most rumors suggested Iverson was moved partly because he had a falling out with head coach Mo Cheeks. So early on, it will be interesting to see how well Miller adjusts to life as a Sixer under Cheeks, who has had problems with difficult players as a head coach. If Miller gels well early, the Sixers may benefit as a team because with Iverson they sometimes stood around and watched him do his thing, while Miller will get everyone involved in the offense. Over the longer term, the two draft picks will help land a couple of quality prospects to go along with Philly's mostly young core.

Fantasy impact