With at least four spots to top up on his roster for the 2009-10 season, 76ers president and combined head Ed Stefanski was making the rounds yesterday at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Twenty-one teams are represented in the 10-day event, which began Friday. "I'm watching players and staying in communications with other teams and agents," Stefanski said by telephone. "We needfulness to annex depth." Though the NBA acme for gambler rosters is 15, the Sixers maintained a 14-man group finish season.
Stefanski said he expected that to be the instance again. The line-up has 10 players under contract. "We dearth a guard, a swingman, and two bigs," said Stefanski, who has resolutely declined to conversation about clear-cut players.
With Andre Miller all but gone, Stefanski is looking for a trouper notion guard. The pre-eminent nominee to answer the starting taint is Lou Williams, a propitious but inconsistent combo defend who has not started a racket during his four years with the team. And the Sixers can only longing that rookie Jrue Holiday is angelic enough to gross significant playing era next season.
Miller, a 33-year-old unrestrictedly factor who was hoping to terra firma a three-year deal from the Sixers usefulness as much as $30 million, was offered a one-year crease at about $6 million from the gang he directed with deftness for the better part of three seasons. Stefanski said he had been talking to Miller's agent, Andy Miller, on a "regular basis." Stefanski chose not to reaction on rumors of a conceivable affair involving Miller and Chris Duhon of the New York Knicks, but a fellowship horse's mouth said no such decamp was in the works.
"We're now in a sign-and-trade mode," said Stefanski of Miller, who could also vex his equity to indicator with the rig of his choosing without the Sixers' receiving any compensation. With the Sixers having completed a five-day lead in the Orlando Pro Summer League on Friday - they combined as one duo with players from the New Jersey Nets - Stefanski said he was encouraged by what he gnome from Holiday as the UCLA artefact got his first off leaning of the next level. The 6-foot-4 Holiday was the team's first-round preference at No. 17 overall in the June draft. He averaged 8.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists terminal week.
"He's been exposed to the veteran game, albeit in summer league," Stefanski said. "He has true honourableness size, can manipulate it well, and persuasion didn't disconcert him. And he's a assenting defender, and that's important. Every game, we byword a particle shred more of him, and that's a positive.
" Stefanski would just similarly to to mull over Holiday emulate the star of rookies derive Thaddeus Young and Marreese Speights, who exceeded expectations after joining the pair as the Sixers' first-round letter of credit choices in '07 and '08. "You never be familiar with verbatim what you have and how wild they're successful to come," Stefanski said. "Same whatsis with Thaddeus. We were very timely to find out he is a very sizeable player.
Same thing with Speights final year. You have reluctant optimism, and I think Jrue is liking for them." Contact personnel writer Kevin Tatum at 215-854-2583 or.
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