The Los Angeles Clippers traded for Denver Nuggets’ center Marcus Camby Tuesday. In return, Denver receives the option to trade second round picks with Los Angeles in the 2010 NBA draft. Camby is considered one of the premier defensive players in the league, leading the NBA in blocks with 3.61 a game last year.

More importantly, this means that the Clippers are no longer in a financial position to pursue restricted free agent forward Andre Iguodala. The Clippers were the most active team pursuing the Sixers’ star.

Last off-season, Iguodala rejected a five year, $57 million offer from the Sixers. He is reportedly asking for a five year, $65 million deal.

Although it’s been known for some months now, the official announcement of the Spectrum’s demolition came down today which Ed Snider called “one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make.” From today’s Comcast-Spectacor press release, the word is the building will be torn down following the 2008-2009 Kixx and Phantom’s seasons, meaning some time after May 2009 probably. Since there was such a buildup to the implosion of Veterans Stadium in 2004, you have to imagine there will be even more hubbub around the demolition of the Spectrum since it arguably held more significant sporting events through the years … or at least more championships.

The plans for the area where the Spectrum now stands are pretty exciting, although do we really have to call it “Philly Live!,” really? But still, losing a building that has been part of Philadelphia sports for over 40 years is going to be tough … even if the place is a dump. In anticipation of the months of reminiscing, Comcast-Spectacor has set up a website, Remember the Spectrum, which has photos throughout the years of the …

The Phillies did not start the week out well, but ended it in strong fashion as they head into this season’s All Star break in first place in the National League East, a half a game up on the New York Mets.

After losing three of four to the Mets, the Phillies stormed back and took two of three from both the Cardinals and Diamondbacks, including a four game win streak. It’s not a nine game win streak, but you can’t complain too much with ending the first half in first place.

The break, in my opinion, will actually benefit the Phillies and hurt the Mets. The Phils are playing well, but are not streaking like their New York rivals, and a four day break is the last thing you want if you are on a multiple game win streak. Hopefully the Phillies can capitalize and build on this past week, while the Mets will hopefully suffer from their time off.

Trade rumors surround the Phillies as fellow National League teams the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs made serious acquisitions to bolster their pitching rotations in CC Sabathia and Rich Harden, respectively. It was thought that they were the …

Well that didn’t take long. According to several media outlets, including the Philadelphia Daily News, the Los Angeles Times, and ESPN.com, the Philadelphia 76ers have come to a verbal agreement with forward Elton Brand. The deal is reportedly worth $82 million over five years.

The deal cannot formally be announced until Wednesday when the NBA trade moratorium is lifted.

Earlier today it was announced that the Sixers traded Rodney Carney, Calvin Booth, and a future No. 1 pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves for cap room, essentially paving the way for the Sixers to take a serious shot at Brand.

According to ESPN.com,

Said one source close to the process: “Elton wants to go East.”

And the East wants Elton. Brand has averaged 20.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game over his nine year career. He would provide a seriously needed big man to the run and gun Sixers offense.

According to ESPN.com,

If Brand indeed goes through with his apparent intent to join the Sixers, such an outcome is bound to be widely branded as a shocker after he and agent David Falk announced last week that Brand was opting out of the final year of his previous contract (worth $16.4 million) …

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This is not what I would call a good week for the Phillies, but it is definitely a step in the right direction. The Phils went 4-3 last week, again sweeping the Atlanta Braves in Turner Field before coming to Citizen’s Bank Park and dropping three of four to the Mets.

The Phils looked like the Fightins of old against the Braves, scoring 19 runs in three games, while only giving up seven. They continued their hot streak against the Mets, winning the first game 3-2. That’s when things fell apart.

The Phillies were winning on Saturday until a meltdown of catastrophic proportions occurred by the bullpen, starting with stalwart J.C. Romero, continuing with Tom Gordon, and ending with Rudy Seanez. The Phils ended up losing the game 4-9, but should have won it easily. Sunday was another game that they should have won, carrying the momentum of Jason Werth’s game tying home run in the ninth inning off Mets’ closer Billy Wagner into extra innings. Instead, they gave up two runs a couple innings later to Fernando Tatis (yea, exactly) and were unable to rally together and ended up losing 4-2. Monday was a complete blowout loss …

The Sixers traded Rodney Carney, a future No. 1 pick, and Calvin Booth to the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday. The Sixers clear up some much needed cap space, giving them about $14 million to pursue a top flight free agent. It is not clear yet what the Sixers will get in return.

In his two years in the NBA, Carney averaged 6.2 points and two rebounds per game.

It is widely believed that the Sixers will offer all $14 million and a long term deal to big time forwards like Elton Brand or Josh Smith.

Smith was in town last week to work out for the Sixers, but they did not give the restricted free agent an offer sheet. Smith’s current team, the Atlanta Hawks, have publicly committed to matching any offer given to Smith.

Brand, on the other hand, has opted out of the last year of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. He has said that he plans to stay in Los Angeles despite his decision, even if he has to take a contract that is below the NBA maximum for free agents. That being said, both the Clippers and Golden State Warriors have reportedly been heavily pursuing …

This is the first installment of a weekly review of former Philadelphia athletes who have passed through town.  However, this won’t be your normal look back at players like Mike Schmidt, Julius Erving, or Ron Jaworski.  Instead, I would like to focus on some players that made an impression with me, either good or bad, that for whatever reason have become a part of my memory and my desire to search them out and relive some of their great moments.  Players like… Steve Jeltz.

The greatest French born Major League Baseball player of all time spent parts of 7… yes 7 seasons playing shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies starting in 1983 and ending, mercilessly, in 1989, when he was traded in the off-season to Kansas City for Jose Dejesus.

What most people recall about Jeltz was that he was born in France… and he didn’t give you much too remember either.  A career .210 hitter with only 5 homers to his name and the gall to not even be a good fielder left most Philadelphians with a bad taste in their mouth.But Jeltz’ glimmering, although drippy, mane made him a topic of …

This was another week to forget for the Phillies, as their struggles continued against the Athletics and Rangers. The Phils went 2-4 on the week, failing to beat such powerhouses as Joe Blanton (4-11, 4.97 ERA), Eric Hurley (1-1, 3.57 ERA), and Kason Gabbard (2-3, 4.82 ERA).

The Phils’ offense, which has been struggling mightily over the past few weeks, finally found some life this weekend in Texas, only to have the pitching falter in its place. In the first two games of the series, the Phillies scored a total of 15 runs, but gave up 14 runs. The Fightins just can’t seem to catch a break.

As a result of his struggles this year, pitcher Brett Myers (3-9, 5.84 ERA) could be headed back to the bullpen. Full coverage of that story here. Who can say if that will help Myers? I, for one, was not all that impressed with his pitching as the team’s closer last year, and under no circumstances do I want the Phillies to think that he is a viable option when considering whether to offer current closer Brad Lidge a serious contract extension next year. Myers has never quite lived up …

The 76ers took Marreese Speights with the sixteenth pick of the 2008 NBA Draft Thursday.

Speights is a 6′10″ power forward from the University of Florida. He averaged 14.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for the Gators in the 2007-2008 season.

Speights seems to have a lot of raw talent, its just a question of whether or not he can refine that talent and become a serious NBA player.

According to the website, www.draftexpress.com, the first thing you notice when watching Speights work out is how fundamentally sound he is.

He’s got a natural, flawless stroke, showing small-forward like elevation creating separation from his defender, a high release point, excellent body control on his fade-aways, great technique squaring his shoulders and his hips simultaneously in perfect unison—and not surprisingly, getting unbelievable results in the process.

Speights is big and powerful enough to play the power forward position, but has the skill and agility to play like a shooting forward.

In the post, he has a beautiful hook-shot and an even prettier turn-around jumper, to go along with great hands, length and size for his position and excellent agility finishing around the hoop.

One concern while he was in Florida was his conditioning. According to Draft …

The Philadelphia 76ers select Marreese Speights from the University of Florida.

Speights is a 6′10″ power forward from St. Petersburg, Florida.

According to the website www.draftexpress.com,

We walked away from the first day shaking our head at what we witnessed—a 6-10, 20-year old power forward who is about as skilled a big man facing the basket as you will find in this draft. “He’s really more skilled than anyone knows,“ Joe Abunassar told us. The first thing you notice is how fundamentally sound Speights’ shooting mechanics are. He’s got a natural, flawless stroke, showing small-forward like elevation creating separation from his defender, a high release point, excellent body control on his fade-aways, great technique squaring his shoulders and his hips simultaneously in perfect unison—and not surprisingly, getting unbelievable results in the process. He operates strictly on the balls of his feet as he catches and fires away, draining shot after shot from 16-18 feet with machine-like efficiency, and then proceeding to step-away and knock down college and even NBA 3-pointers with impressive accuracy as well.

Keep posted here at Hot Stove Philly, more information on Speights and the other Sixers’ draft picks still to come.

To all those people that think that Philly fans are terrible and are the only fans low enough to boo their own draft pick, I say screw you!

With the sixth pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks picked Italian superstar Danilo Gallinari. Even though the Knicks have been hinting at this for a couple days now, the announcement of Gallinari drew a chorus of boos from the New York faithful.

The Eagles fans were lambasted (rightfully so) for booing during the 1999 NFL draft when they drafted quarterback Donovan McNabb. The Eagles fans, led by idiot WIP radio personality Angelo Cataldi, were hoping for the Eagles to pick running back Ricky Williams. It was an awful blemish on the already tarnished reputation of Philadelphia fans.

My problem with it is that Philly fans are always ridiculed for every little mean thing they do, while the rest of the country largely gets away with ugly behavior. The Knicks fans better get their share of ridicule and criticism for being a bunch of assholes, but as usually happens, they won’t.

The Sixers have extended offers to forward Andre Iguodala and guard Lou Williams, both of whom are restricted free agents this year.

By doing so, the Sixers have guaranteed themselves the option to keep both players. Both Iguodala and Williams are free to entertain offers from other teams, but the Sixers can keep them if they match those offers.

Iguodala averaged 19.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.1 steals per game this season. He played every game this season and has spent four years in the NBA.

Williams, in his third year, averaged 11.5 points, 3.2 assists and two rebounds per game while coming off the bench for the Sixers. He had the fifth highest points/rebounds/assists total among NBA reserves.