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• Your Rankings: Who were the best 1996 draft picks across the NBA, the NFL and MLB?

It was a simpler time in 1996. The Yankees were winning the World Series. Bruce Springsteen was touring the country. And the Florida Gators were marching toward a national championship behind a Heisman-winning quarterback. All right, so maybe we're not quite talking Dickensian London in terms of difference.

But 1996 was a long time ago in the sports world, as Allen Iverson can attest. If reports are true of interest from the Knicks, Iverson's NBA career might not be over; however, getting released by the Grizzlies after a disastrous three-game tenure is a long way from being the No. 1 overall pick out of Georgetown.

The 76ers got pretty good return on that selection, but as it turns out, 1996 was a good year for finding franchise talent. Granted, some picks didn't quite work out (Lorenzen Wright probably just had bad luck), but the year produced the likes of Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash in the NBA, Marvin Harrison and Ray Lewis in the NFL, and Jimmy Rollins in MLB. So as Iverson looks for work, where does he rank among products of 1996?

• Vote: Is Iverson better than anyone currently in Mike D'Antoni's backcourt?
• Tuesday Chat: NBA Insider Chad Ford on Iverson's future and more, 1 p.m. ET

Brandon (Gainesville, FL)

As bad as the Knicks are, do you see Donnie Walsh doing something to inject some life into the knicks. They can't afford to march this group out there game in and and game out. And as much experience as the younger guys need, they also can't afford to give the 2nd or 3rd pick in the draft to the Jazz. We know they're protecting the cap, does walsh do ANYTHING?

Chris Sheridan

Sadly, Brandon, Donnie is now having to defend his decision to take Jordan Hill over Brandon Jennings, and New Yorkers have already heard that Steve Alford-Reggie Miller tale one too many times. What the Knicks -- or more specifically, Walsh and Mike D'Antoni -- are fixated on right now is getting Eddy Curry back on the court and hoping he can produce a 12-14 game body of work that at least gets someone to consider trading for him. Curry remains the key to the treasure chest. If they move him, they can sign a second max free agent, or sign a max guy and keep David Lee. The focus is still on the summer of 2010, and this season is a sacrifice. Full transcript

Lakers fans are understandably excited about the new season, and the defending champs are a popular choice to repeat among bloggers in the ESPN.com community.

"I've never been more excited for the opening of any season, any sport," blogs kurtnaphansen. "The combination of being on the heels of the Lakers winning the NBA championship, of all the trash talk from Cavs, Celtics, Magic, Spurs and even Blazers fans, and of a very new interesting development with the addition of Sheed to Boston, Shaq to Cleveland and Artest to LA."

Below are fan blogs and predictions about the season, which tipped off this week. Click through to respond. If you don't already have an ESPN profile, create one now and start blogging.

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• Vote: Take the Quentin Richardson tour of the country.

Apparently Quentin Richardson comes with a warning that if you do not forward him to a friend within 30 days, great misfortune will befall you. Although considering the Clippers, Grizzlies, Knicks and Timberwolves are among the teams he's been "employed" by since last playing an NBA game, maybe the curse is more of a retroactive deal.

Richardson is not a star player. His impact on the upcoming season probably ranks somewhere in the vicinity of Glen Davis remaining in Boston or Leon Powe heading to Cleveland. But we can't help ourselves; Richardson's tour, paper tour though it may be, of NBA cities is worthy of a blind Greek poet (preferably of the deceased variety).

Let's run through this. On April 15, Richardson scored nine points in 11 minutes as the Knicks closed the regular season with a win against the Nets. On draft night, the Knicks dealt him to the Grizzlies (for Darko Milicic of all people). Then the Grizzlies traded him to the Clippers, who traded him to the Timberwolves, who just traded him to the Heat.

Considering Richardson shot 39 percent from the field last season, we're starting to wonder if Washington, D.C., really has the most popular "Cash for Clunkers" program.

• Voters don't think Dwyane Wade is sticking around beyond this season.
• Groups: Real Miami Heat Fans | Minnesota Sports Fans | Memphis Grizzlies fans

“

Ok, Q must be filming a reality show.

” -- ZEEKERINI

“

I feel bad for Q now. He's no where near as bad as Mark Blount. The Heat might as well throw a parade just for getting rid of that guy

” -- Dwayne_Johnson23

“

Q must have some serious frequent flyer miles. He's gonna be a good bench warmer for the heat.

” -- laranadepaz

It seems safe to say Allen Iverson will someday find his way to Springfield and the Basketball Hall of Fame. He's already No. 16 all time in points in the NBA, and he's about one good season away from passing Patrick Ewing, Jerry West, Reggie Miller and Amazing Grace Smith. Heck, it was just a year ago that SportsNation ranked him on the cusp of its own Redeem Team (Joe Dumars begs to differ).

Now if only we could figure out what city will come before the not-so-gem of Massachusetts on his career itinerary.

Iverson is hardly alone in NBA circles in his current quest for employment, but with each Andre Miller and Lamar Odom signing, he's starting to stand out more and more. It's one thing for Jamaal Tinsley to need work; it's another for a Hall of Famer who is younger than Steve Nash.

A month ago, SportsNation thought the Heat would be the best fit of the teams rumored to be in the mix. Now the Knicks are in play and rumors have extended all the way to Greece (hey, at least SportsNation thinks he'd be as good an ambassador for basketball as David Beckham has been for soccer in the United States). Surely some team will give Iverson the mid-level exception and 18 shots a game, right?

• 62 percent of SportsNation believes Iverson can still contribute for a contender.
• Beyond the Nation: Bill Simmons makes a case (No. 50) for an Iverson comeback.
• Beyond the Nation: Iverson talks about his image and the nature of celebrity.

“

AI/Mayo/Gay/Rando lph/Gasol. Not a bad starting 5 that can definitely run and put up some points. They would be a better team with this move. Warrick could still be good off the bench for them though. They need D with that lineup from somewhere.

” -- XmanY

“

Iverson fans need to give it up. We're not saying he's not great. He's great. But you have to have a pretty bad team if he can do it more good than harm. And while this is something he could fix if he wanted to, it's getting very late for that dog to learn any new tricks. I'd love to see him do it. But even then, he wouldn't be proving the "haters" wrong - he'd be proving that he should have been listening to them all along.

” -- The Pragmaticist

• Rankings: Where does Steve Nash fit with the greatest point guards of all time?

Shaquille O'Neal might not mind spending a winter in Cleveland if it means playing with LeBron James, but perhaps the lure of trading financial security for a chance to wait and see if the same opportunity would present itself in New York a year from now didn't sound so enticing to Steve Nash. Or maybe the fan base in Arizona -- not to mention Grant Hill -- makes him feel all kinds of young.

With news that Nash will remain with the Suns for at least the next three seasons after signing a contract extension, SportsNation is sure the guard's championship window has closed. That might not have been the case had he followed a similar path after the 2003-04 season with the Mavericks , but two MVP awards aren't bad consolation prizes.

• Most of the 'Nation predicts Nash wins more than Mike D'Antoni the next three seasons.
• Nearly three out of four voters think Nash's legacy will top Dirk Nowitzki's.
• An even heftier percentage thinks he has more left than Jason Kidd.
• SportsNation Groups: Phoenix Suns fans | NBA Fanz Only | Dirk's Posse

“

You often have to wonder, what is the price tag for giving up your dream. For Steve Nash we know it is now $11 million. (The Price to not pursue a NBA Ring). I don't fault Steve at all. I would take the money in a heartbeat and not think twice. But this is sad that such a great pg who had a fantastic 4 year stretch, will never get that 1 goal that all players seek.

” -- Vikomnla

“

I love the suns and Nash but this was a ridiculous decision. The fans in PHX will love it but they are not even close to contenders for a ring. Hey, maybe they'll keep making money and keep the franchise afloat but 22 mill is alot for a 35 year old PG who doesn't play D and has had a bad back for 3 years.

” -- xjrobx

It's a time for optimism in the NBA, where Anthony Randolph can get hearts fluttering in the Bay Area after tying a Las Vegas Summer League record with 42 points in a game (all right, not every heart). Heck, it's a time when even Knicks fans can shelve the cynicism for a few seconds, as SportsNation blogger allikskat does in making a case for a Big Apple revival.

And then there are the Lakers, who ought to be in the best mood of all.

Colin Cowherd and Kobe Bryant began their conversation on "The Herd" (click on the link on the left to hear the whole thing) by discussing the simple pleasures of parenthood. Then they moved on to Lamar Odom. At least, we think there's a separation between talking offspring and talking about a guy who sustains himself on candy.

After seeing Trevor Ariza and Hedo Turkoglu cash in on stellar postseason performances, it's no surprise Odom wants to cash in on his. But soon after the NBA Finals, SportsNation placed him a distant third to those two when it came to enhanced reputations. And when it came to Ariza or Odom remaining alongside Kobe, Odom was the consolation prize.

• Do the Lakers need Odom to repeat? The 'Nation is truly divided.
• More clear is Lamar Odom needs the Lakers more than they need him.
• Majority still thinks Odom ends up with the Lakers this season.
• Chat: Do the Lakers need Odom? Ask John Hollinger at 3 p.m. ET.

“

buss needs to just take the hit and consider it punishment for the other poor deals he's done. I remember during the finals celebration he was talking about doing whatever it took to keep the championship pieces in place.....doesn't look that way. Sure Odom is stalling but Buss isn't doing much better

” -- Deuces Take Two

“

Odom better wise up and sign for the $9 mill per season. I heard him crying about not being on the ESPN best "Free Agents". Wise up Lamar and re-sign. The Lakers are the team to beat for the next 5 years. Something special is brewing in LA.

” -- bleednd82

• From the defending champs to the defending lottery winner, rank all 30 teams.

NBA Insider David Thorpe breaks down the NBA's summer leagues in the video above, including a very un-Olowokandi debut for No. 1 pick Blake Griffin. (Did you know Griffin has a low waist? Neither did we.) But as much or as little as we gain from summer league numbers -- Roy Hibbert has looked downright adequate, for crying out loud -- the real summer league comes with general managers and agents dueling over draft picks, luxury tax implications and free-agent offers.

The most recent news came Monday with the Magic matching the Mavericks' hefty offer to Marcin Gortat. Yes, we live in a world where Marcin Gortat's whereabouts for the next five years are a big deal. Get used to it. More than 90 percent of SportsNation feels like $34 million over five years might be a tad excessive for Gortat, but that's not really the question. When it comes to whether the Magic needed to pay it, voters are entirely divided.

So with many of the offseason's major addition and subtractions in the books, what do your NBA Power Rankings look like?

• Rumors of Iverson to the Clippers? Voters prefer Baron Davis and Eric Gordon.
• Keeping Grant Hill and adding Channing Frye doesn't make Suns a contender.
• The Warriors lost Jamal Crawford but Stephen Curry in the draft, and SportsNation blogger -- and pained Warriors fan -- connorcuc thinks it's time for a coach interested in defense and a new mentality for a franchise stuck in neutral.
• Although they aren't among Allen Iverson's rumored potential landing places, SportsNation blogger allikskat wonders why teams like the Timberwolves and Knicks haven't shown any interest in the veteran.
• Groups: Orlando Magic Hoops | Warrior Hoops Nation | Dirk's Posse | Phoenix Suns fans

“

That premise might work if AI practiced with the team and could help Griffin in any way. He won't help or practice. Spending that kind of money for even 1yr. is a waste. They have enough wasted salaries as it is. They should get someone with a little character or desire who has enough talent to help. Not lead. AI will not lead. He is beyond that at this pt. in his career. When you practice with your team it is more about the act and not the effort.

” -- paulc1955

“

LOL! Cuban and the Mavs went all in with 3 kings (casting aside a very good and young foward in Bass) and the Magic waited until the last second to play 4 aces. Now the Mavs only legit big man is Dampier. Better get to work Cuban and find a quality big if you hope to secure a shot at the 8th seed in the playoffs.

” -- the_real_kman

All Dwyane Wade wants in order to secure his stay in Miami is a team capable of contending for a championship again. And for our part, we salute his willingness to put aside his contractual concerns in pursuit of wins. What's that? That's all he wants, as long as you don't count a max contract as part of what he wants? That doesn't seem quite as selfless.

Becoming the latest athlete to publicly play armchair general manager (and in his defense, he's more qualified than Ryan Bruan), Wade suggested his willingness to let the Heat empty the bank vaults is linked to the team getting good in a hurry. Of course, he may have a point, at least if you're one of many thinking Michael Beasley and Jermaine O'Neal are not championship-caliber sidekicks.

• And not that SportsNation isn't confident in the Heat's ability to accomodate their star, but, well, they aren't confident in the Heat's ability to accomodate their star. More than half of voters expect Wade to bolt after this season.
• As for reports that the one player who could push even Wade to second fiddle in next summer's free agent market won't be moving, SportsNation isn't buying reports that LeBron James told Trevor Ariza he's staying in Cleveland for the long haul.
• Vote: Is Wade more likely to hit the road than LeBron?

“

I know wade is a good guy (from what i know), but I think there are sometimes ball players should worry about doing their job (playing ball) and staying out of the economics. I know D wade is a special player, but if the owner thought he could fill the seats with a player making half of Dwade money, its only a good business decision. Its great that he cares about winning. But in times like these, i think it makes sense for players to the be quiet and take the money.

” -- yodaspeaks

“

Ooooh I never wanted to imagine the possibilities but after hearing this I can hope he comes home to Chicago. C'mon Wade you have Rose at the point so therefore never a double team on you.

” -- GridIronMaidens

• Forget this summer; how do you rank the blockbuster 2010 free agents?

Two guys from Texas head to the Big Apple and a sports agent could be involved in the resolution. Now NBA free agency is ripping off "Friday Night Lights" for its plot lines. This is what happens when Carlos Boozer takes himself off the market in what was already a lean talent pool.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has followed Jason Kidd to New York in hopes of keeping the point guard from bolting to another team. And the Knicks, making do without Stephen Curry or Ricky Rubio, might be that team in an effort to layi the groundwork for wooing LeBron James next summer.

Actually, throw in Minka Kelly and we'd watch that.

• Fuss aside, SportsNation doesn't think Kidd is an elite PG anymore.
• Only one in five thinks having Kidd would help land LeBron in 2010.
• Boozer would have been SN's top free agent; now it's Hedo Turkoglu.
• Frequent SportsNation blogger kinglywarrior takes a look at some free-agent appetizers teams could use to tide them over until next summer.

“

I don't think Cuban has any bargaining chips...the knicks need a good point guard and he loves the big city. also it's pretty clear this is a strategic move to lure Lebron, he has said it himself Jason Kidd was the biggest influence on him as a player in high school and "dreamed" of playing with him. This is pure strategy, and it's a good one too. Bring Kidd in, give him a year to get aclamated, make the knicks better (which he would), and make it a much more favorable deal for Lebron next year.

” -- amarebarkley

“

Kidd needs to retire...it's not even fun watching him play anymore. No matter what the experts say, he doesn't have much left.

” -- adanperez

Ricky Rubio doesn't know how good he has it. According to the National Climatic Data Center (and really, who doesn't want to start the week with a meteorological link?), Minneapolis gets lets snowfall per year than Cleveland and Salt Lake City, not to mention former NBA hotbeds Syracuse and Rochester. Heck, compared to the more than 320 inches of snow they get in Valdez, Alaska, Minneapolis might as well be Majorca.

So what's Rubio's problem? Only about 10 percent of voters actually think the weather is the biggest factor in the Spanish guard's reluctance to join the Timberwolves. But voters are split on whether it's the market or the team that is the biggest sticking point.

• While most of the nation is split on whether or not it was a mistake for the Timberwolves to draft Rubio, Minnesota is overwhelmingly sure it was a dumb move.
• New York one of few states expecting Rubio to play for another NBA team next season. Wonder which team they have in mind?
• Fan groups: Knicks Fan Club | Minnesota Sports Fans | NBA Fanz Only
• SportsNation blogger danielcmarshall keeps it short but still manages to throw Marian Hossa under the bus in suggesting Rubio is evil.

“

Wolves trade him to the NYC im done watching NBA basketball. Ill stick with Tubby Smith and the Gophers,and the Wild during winter season. The knicks have nothing to offer us. Getting more draft picks for the future would be dumb. This team needs to sell tickets. So yeah get ride of the guy everyone wanted as a wolves fan. R Allen, B Roy, O Mayo. Now Rubio.

” -- vikings42011

“

And really who can blame him for not wanting to play in Minnesota? Weather is no good and that team shouldnt even be a franchise with the way they operate (same for the Clips)

” -- gomez1012