The general consensus among most NBA commentators is that Allen Iverson will be traded by tomorrow, if not later today. Virtually every report has the Celtics have as one of the teams in the running to nab Iverson. ESPN's Marc Stein had this take on the Celtics' chances of landing the 76ers' superstar:

Word is no team is hotter for Iverson than the Celts, just as they were in June at the draft.

Of course, there's probably no team Philly would rather deal with less than Boston. The Sixers want to see as little of Iverson as possible when this is all over, as opposed to seeing him in the same division wearing the colors of a longstanding (and hated) rival.

Philly's problem? Boston might have the most attractive combo of youngsters, draft picks and salary-cap relief. So then what do you do?

The Globe's Shira Springer writes that Celtics have offered Theo Ratliff (and his $11.7 million expiring contract), Sebastian Telfair, Al Jefferson and Delonte West for Iverson. Over the summer when an Iverson-to-Boston trade was first discussed, many sportswriters dismissed the idea because a Celtics team with Iverson still looked like a longshot to win the Eastern Conference.

But now that the Eastern Conference has been exposed as a fraud, does it make sense for the Celtics to trade away several young, decent but not great players for one older great player? From a marketing standpoint, it's a slam dunk. The Celtics get a few years of Iverson, team him up with Pierce and sit back and count the money. And from a basketball standpoint, it means the Celtics are suddenly a serious contender to win the East for the next few years. The Celtics would still have youngsters like Gerald Green, Rajon Rondo and Ryan Gomes and as a championship contender the team could potentially attract a veteran free agent or two.

Or does it make more sense for the Celtics to stick with their young players, finish out the season, probably miss the playoffs and take their chances in one of the deepest drafts in years?

If the Celtics can make the trade for Iverson while still holding onto Green, I think it's a no-brainer. You make the deal. Are the Celtics going to be better in two years with or without Iverson? Would a mid-30's Iverson do more for the Celtics than the mid-20's trio of Telfair, West and Jefferson (who has looked pretty good lately)? I think he would. Pull the trigger, Danny.