PHILADELPHIA -- With a big contract and without a starting spot, point guard Eric Snow became expendable in Philadelphia.
Snow will likely find himself in the same situation this year, only in Cleveland after he was traded by the 76ers to the Cavaliers on Tuesday for guards Kevin Ollie and Kedrick Brown.
Snow spent 6½ seasons with the 76ers, averaging 9.7 points and 6.6 assists while helping them to the 2001 Eastern Conference championship.
"I'm excited and thankful," Snow said Tuesday night in an interview with the Associated Press. "I'm going to a team that wanted me, and wanted me to be the player I am. Cleveland is a nice, young team that is hoping to go to the playoffs, and hopefully I can come and help them accomplish that goal."
Philadelphia, though, was looking to save money, get blossoming second-year guard Willie Green into the starting lineup and shift Allen Iverson to point guard. Also, Philadelphia coach Jim O'Brien had little use for a true point guard in his up-tempo offense, which seemed ill-suited for Snow who thrives more with set plays.
"He wouldn't be happy," O'Brien said. "I don't see how anybody that is a competitor would be happy."
He'll try and find happiness in Cleveland, where he could again be looking at a reserve role.
The Cavaliers were shopping for a backup for Jeff McInnis, who quickly became a team leader and initiated the offense in his first season with the team. Coach Paul Silas said no one was taking McInnis' spot.
"It's Jeff's job. It's conceivable they can play together," Silas said. "Right now, Jeff is my man and I don't anticipate that changing at all."
Silas said he liked adding Snow's playoff experience to a maturing team that includes McInnis, LeBron James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
Snow had been on the trading block since the end of the season. At their season-ending meeting, team president Billy King and Snow agreed it was time for a change.
"I wouldn't say I expected to be gone, but I'm open-minded," Snow said. "I know this is a business and I know the Sixers have a lot of perimeter players. During a meeting with Billy last season, I said that Allen's skills might be best used at point guard against zone defenses."
Snow had agreed before last season to a four-year contract extension that runs through 2008-09. Had King not extended the contract, Snow could have opted out after last season. King said he feared Snow would sign elsewhere and leave the Sixers without a true starting guard.
That was before Green emerged and impressed the Sixers when he played most of the second half of the season for an injured Iverson.
Snow showed durability and was a team leader for the Sixers. He played in 82 games each of the past two seasons, but his scoring and shooting percentage dipped last year.
O'Brien and King agreed that Snow no longer had a prominent role in Philadelphia. Snow, who was one of their top defenders, didn't have the long-range shooting or fastbreaking style the Sixers needed.
"Sometimes when you have a true ballhandler, people can lock in and slow your break down," King said.
This will be Ollie's third stint with Philadelphia. He's played for 10 NBA teams and was in Philadelphia during 1999-00 and 2000-01 when the Sixers advanced to the NBA Finals.
Ollie has averaged 4.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists in his seven-year NBA career. With the 76ers, he averaged 2.9 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 91 games.
He's the second former Sixer in two weeks to return to the team, joining forward Brian Skinner.
The 6-foot-7 Brown was a first-round pick (11th overall) by Boston in the 2001 draft and was traded to the Cavaliers in 2003. He's averaged 3.7 points and 2.5 rebounds in his career.
Both teams may not be done dealing.
The Cavaliers need a power forward after the Carlos Boozer fiasco and general manager Jim Paxson said he's still looking for additional frontcourt help.
"It may not be one guy. It may be two guys," Paxson said.
Snow, Iverson and Aaron McKie -- also on the trading block -- have long been the three-headed face of the Sixers. With a new coach and a new philosophy, this isn't the same organization that made the playoffs from 1999-2003.
"It's time for us to realize we are going to have a different look," King said.
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