Iverson quits 76ers for Nuggets

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Philadelphia's NBA superstar Allen Iverson is to leave the 76ers after 10 years and join the Denver Nuggets.

The trade will send forward Joe Smith, guard Andre Miller and two 2007 first-round picks to the 76ers for Iverson and forward Ivan McFarlin.

The 31-year-old guard has not played for six games after he asked to be traded nearly two weeks ago.

"These players are going to take this franchise to new heights," said Denver player chief Rex Chapman.

Philadelphia (5-18) have struggled so far this season, and only Memphis (5-19) have a worse record in the NBA.

Iverson, who had two years and $39m left on his contract after this season, was the 76ers' number one pick in the 1996 NBA draft.

He has topped the league's scoring charts in four separate seasons, and helped Philadelphia to reach the 2001 NBA Finals.

But the team have dropped off the pace in recent seasons, missing the play-offs twice in the last three campaigns.

Even this season, with Iverson unhappy and the Sixers playing poorly, he is still is second in the league in scoring with a 31.2 points-per-game average.

And despite Iverson's dominance, the team cleared out his locker and refused to play him after he asked for a trade.

"It was time for us to take a deep breath and say we've got to move in a different direction," said Sixers chairman Ed Sinder.

"Allen wanted to move in a different direction."

Denver lost NBA top scorer Carmelo Anthony for 15 games after he was suspended for his part in the Nuggets' brawl with the New York Knicks last weekend.