Allen Iverson Waived: Memphis Grizzlies No Longer Have an Answer

It's official: Allen Iverson's days as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies is over. Iverson and the Grizzlies have come to terms to terminate Iverson's $3 million contract and he will be placed on waivers Tuesday afternoon. Having been gone from the team since November 7 for "personal issues," it's unsure whether Iverson is simply going to try and sign with a team that will give him more playing time or if this is the end of the line for The Answer.

Playing Time Down in Memphis

Iverson, used to not only being a starter but a key part of any offense, was having difficulty coming to terms with his new role as a reserve with the Grizzlies. Watching Iverson play last year in Detroit and struggling through injuries in the preseason, however, raises questions as to whether he has anything left in the tank. Given Iverson's notorious past when it comes to not being a star (who can forget his famous "Practice" rant), it's definitely a possibility that no team picks Iverson up after he is officially waived by the Grizzlies.

Iverson and Grizzlies still mum on "Personal Issues"

Another question that will effect Iverson's future is what exactly the "personal issues" are that have caused him to miss the last week of play. Although I'm would never call for someone to come forth with personal information that they did not want to be public, any team that wishes to sign Iverson will need to address these issues to appease the fans. Fans are often fickle people, and will almost definitely demand answers if a team decides to take a gamble on Iverson.

Obviously, something serious is going on with Iverson. If the "personal issues" end up being his distaste with being relegated to a back-up role on a bad team, then I'd take a pass on giving him another contract. Iverson is no longer in his prime, and if he had trouble fitting in with a team in disarray like the Memphis Grizzlies, there's little hope that he would be able to be integrated into a stronger team.

If these "personal issues" are not game related, however, we'll just have to wait and see if Iverson himself is up for returning to the game when these issues are resolved. It's always tough to see players go through off the field troubles, and often it's easy to forget that professional athletes are human just like everyone else. Iverson might very well being going through serious problems, and I wish him the best if this is indeed what is going on.

The Bottom Line

This season, Iverson has struggled through injuries and not being the player that he used to be. Being waived by a Grizzlies team that's currently 2-8 and in full rebuilding mode is definitely not going to help his stock, and if I were an NBA general manager, I'd take a pass on Iverson. He may still have something left in the tank, but most teams don't have the time, the money, or the roster space to take on Iverson and simply hope that he gets his act together. Maybe Iverson simply needs to sort out his personal life and he'll be back to normal. However, in all likelihood, Iverson has played his last NBA game for a long time, and this is quite possibly the end of the line for Iverson's NBA career.

Resources:

Allen Iverson, Memphis Grizzlies agree to terminate contract