The Sacramento Kings have completed a deal that will send Chris Webber to the Philadelphia 76ers, two league sources told ESPN Insider Chad Ford.
The Sixers send Kenny Thomas, Corliss Williamson and Brian Skinner to the Kings in exchange for Webber, Matt Barnes and Michael Bradley.
The Kings have called a news conference for midnight ET to announce the trade.
The fact that Webber was on the block should come as no surprise to Kings fans. General manager Geoff Petrie had been shopping Webber for some time, and the Kings have been concerned about team chemistry and how the offense often stagnates with Webber in the game.
But it was the Knicks who had been trying to acquire Webber for weeks and they looked like the only team with an owner willing to swallow the last three years and $62 million of his deal.
What is surprising, however, is what the Kings will get from the 76ers in return. None of the three players the Kings receive are as talented as Webber. Each has been struggling this year and all three have long-term contracts equal to the three years, $62 million left on Webber's deal. In other words, this isn't a salary dump by the Kings.
Thomas has five years and $39 million left on his deal, plus a 15 percent trade kicker that will raise his salary higher. Williams has two years and $12.5 million left on his deal. Skinner has one year and $4.9 million left on his contract plus another year at $5.4 million that is 75 percent guaranteed.
While the Kings lose some star power, they do acquire some depth … something that has been sorely needed in Sacramento the past two seasons. Once the trade does become official, look for it to seriously end discussions of a Peja Stojakovic trade. Stojakovic wanted out, in part, because of a poor relationship with Webber both on and off the court. With Webber gone, his trade demands will likely end.
For the Sixers, this is the deal they've been looking for the past month. If Webber can stay healthy, he may be the guy who can help Philly shift the balance of power in the East.
"This is the first time Allen Iverson has had a legitimate, All-Star low post threat," said Tim Legler, an ESPN NBA analyst and Insider contributor. "Allen is going to have to adjust his game to get Webber his touches, but now you have two superstar players on the same team in that division. The Sixers had a chance to win the Atlantic without Chris Webber. With Webber, they are the clear-cut favorites.
"But it's a long way to go from that to wining an NBA championship without more parts."
And the Sixers did it without having to use the expiring contract of Glenn Robinson.
That allows them to use Robinson for another deal if they choose or they can let Robinson's $12 million come off the cap this summer and use the savings to re-sign restricted free agents Samuel Dalembert, Kyle Korver and Willie Green.
Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.
-Arlos
