SIXERS, WEBBER STUCK TOGETHER.

Byline: JOE STEVENS NBA 

The Philadelphia 76ers played a whopping sixgames this season, and Chris Webber demanded to be traded.

At least, that's what a story in the Sacramento Bee assumed. But the words he actually was quoted as saying were these: ``I don't like this role. So you can take that however you want.''

Webber later adamantly denied he wanted a trade and said his words were misinterpreted. Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks, as cool as ever, basically said the incident was silly and not at all a distraction.

So what is the point of the entire episode?

Through it all, it brings up the idea of how some players are ``untradeable'' and how, without fail, potential trades are brought up every year in reputable media outlets and have no chance of happening because they either can't mathematically work because of the league's collective bargaining agreement or they are mere rumors.

Webber's case is a bit different, not quite a problem with the CBA and not a typical rumor, but it's still under the umbrella of misinterpretation.

Webber is almost as ``untradeable'' as any player can be -- and even he should know that.

The 33-year-old is owed $20.7million this season and $22.3million next season, and it is hard to see how any team would either A)want to pick up that salary, or B) scrounge up $20 million in salaries to swap for him. By league rules, a possible team to trade with would have to return contracts within 125 percent, or send the Sixers contracts worth between approximately $15 million and $25million.

Most likely, the Sixers are stuck with Webber, who still is serviceable and averaging 10.0 points and 8.1rebounds this season. And he is stuck with them. He played the next game after his comments, but since then has missed four straight with a sore back.

After his words, the Sixers promptly lost four in a row, but about the comments, Cheeks said, ``Not a distraction at all, not for us. This is a team game, and we keep focusing on our basketball team. We just worry about our basketball team. That's what we do.''

In reality, the Sixers' success might not even depend on Webber, but on how far they can ride Allen Iverson, who missed two games in their skid after having a wisdom tooth extracted.

Iverson supposedly is being more of a team player nowadays and even insists on practicing with the team.

Cheeks says he has nothing against Webber, and, if he's healthy, he still can be a key player.

``We're not keeping him on the bench,'' Cheeks said. ``We're trying to win a basketball game. It's not like I go into a game and say, `Chris Webber is going to be on the bench.' That's not how we do that.''

Off-the-wall evidence? There is a possibility Webber actually did demand a trade. The reporter of that story was Scott Howard-Cooper, who has been reliable for years and presumably close to the veteran forward.

Webber also has shown that he can say off-the-wall things from time to time. After his alma mater, Michigan, lost to Ohio State in football last weekend, he said he thought Michigan deserved a rematch against the Buckeyes in the national championship game. Webber's point, though, was that the Wolverines deserved a title shot more than Rutgers. At that time, Rutgers had not been pounded by Cincinnati, but worrying about that team, as opposed to USC, was beside the point.

All-overpaid team: Only Kevin Garnett, with his $21 million salary, is making more than Webber this season.

An argument could be made that some players, perhaps Garnett, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan, actually earn their astronomical salaries.

Many players, however, don't. Typically, those who don't are at the end of their contracts.

Here is a potential All-Star team of overpaid players this year. Two of them, Brian Grant and Allan Houston, have retired, and another one, Jalen Rose, got a $14.5 million buyout from the Knicks and is making $1.5 million in Phoenix.

The overpaid All-Star team: PF Webber ($20.7 million), SF Rose ($16million), C Grant ($17.3 million), Grizzlies SG Eddie Jones ($15.6million) or Knicks PG Stephon Marbury ($17.2 million).

Rank rankings: Did you ever notice NBA team rankings on Websites or in newspapers that insist on ordering the teams from No. 1 to No.30 and typically base that order on record?

The quick-starting Jazz will undoubtedly be No. 1, and one of the teams with the worst records, probably Toronto, will be last.

Shouldn't the No. 1 team be the squad with the best chance of winning the NBA title? Utah deserves recognition for putting together a superb start to its season, but do the young Jazz, which missed the playoffs last season, really have the best shot of winning the title?

Heat cold: Typically, it seems perfectly logical to consider the defending champion with the best chance of repeating until something dramatic happens to show that's not the case. A dozen games into the season, that already has happened to the 4-8 Miami Heat.

Shaquille O'Neal has had athroscopic knee surgery that likely will keep him out until January. In addition, 29-year-old Jason Williams and 38- year-old Gary Payton have been battling knee injuries.

The Heat has played Dwyane Wade at point guard, but it is more effective with him at shooting guard.

In a story in the Miami Herald saying the Heat might pick up another point guard, former UCLA standout and current Seattle SuperSonic Earl Watson was mentioned as being unhappy with his playing time.

Therefore, the Heat definitely will get him.

Come to think of it, with the trade story about Webber surfacing, the Heat most likely will trade for the 6-foot-10 power forward and convert him into a point guard.

Ah, how nice it feels to make up groundless trade rumors.

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CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 6 boxes

Photo:

(1) A large contract stands between Chris Webber, center, leaving Steven Hunter, left, Andre Iguodala and the rest of his Philadelphia teammates.

Nick Laham/Getty Images

(2) Atlanta guard Joe Johnson leads active NBA players in consecutive games played.

Gregory Smith/Associated Press

Box:

(1) DAILY NEWS/CBS 2/KCAL 9 SPORTS CENTRAL POWER

- Ross Siler

(2) THEY SAID IT

(3) DRIBBLING AROUND

(4) SERVING LINE

(5) NO HEAT FROM HEAT

(6) THIS WEEK'S BEST BET