Philadelphia’s demands on trade for Iverson are deemed too high

The Philadelphia 76ers’ trade demands for Allen Iverson might be too high for the Clippers, who are considering potential deals with other teams, a Clippers source said Sunday.

Although they remain interested in acquiring the star guard, the Clippers consider the 76ers’ demands, to this point, to be unreasonable.

Moreover, the Clippers don’t have hefty expiring contracts to help the 76ers with their luxury-tax problems, and are reluctant to acquire several long-term contracts, in addition to Iverson’s remaining salary, in a deal with Philadelphia.

“We’re always looking to try to improve, always looking for things that can help us reach our goal of winning a championship, but we’re not going to do something that doesn’t make sense for us,” said Coach Mike Dunleavy, without commenting specifically on the Iverson trade speculation.

“There’s a lot of talk out there right now, but that doesn’t mean there’s something that’s really available to get done. If there’s something that seems like a good fit, you look at it and go from there.”

Other teams want some of the components the Clippers might include in a formal proposal for Iverson, the source said, and many in the organization acknowledge the team needs a long-range shooter.

The Clippers have struggled on three-point shots, making only 29.4% of them, and opponents have focused on playing defense closer to the basket.

Elton Brand has been double- and triple-teamed more aggressively than he was last season, and the Clippers’ offense hasn’t been as efficient. A productive shooter could help loosen things around Brand.

The team plans to trade Corey Maggette, who could go to Philadelphia as part of the package for Iverson or in another deal for a perimeter shooter. But would the Clippers change their stance on Philadelphia’s demands if one of their Pacific Division rivals were close to acquiring the four-time scoring champion?

“We’re not going to do anything because someone else might do something,” said Dunleavy, commenting generally about the team’s philosophy. “It has to work for us.”

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Tim Thomas suffered an elbow injury early in the first quarter of the Clippers’ 108-103 loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday and did not return.

Thomas said he bruised the muscle on his left elbow, and also experienced nerve inflammation, in a collision with Houston center Dikembe Mutombo. X-rays were negative, a team spokesman said, and Thomas is listed as day to day.

It has been a rough start for the nine-year veteran, who left the Phoenix Suns in the off-season for a four-year, $24-million contract with the Clippers.

Expected to provide long-range shooting, Thomas is making only 33.7% of his three-point shots. A career 36.9% shooter from three-point range, Thomas made 42.9% of his three-point shots for Phoenix in the 2005-06 regular season.

He was slowed in the exhibition season because of injuries and recently aggravated a hand injury.

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