Posted: Friday, July 3, 2009, 10:34 AM | 17 comments |
 

A Call About Bibby
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The 76ers received an inquiry from the agent for Atlanta Hawks free agent guard Mike Bibby, but a source familiar with the situation said the conversation ''didn't go anywhere.''

The theory seemed to be that the agent was doing his due diligence, checking the market for his client. Bibby was listed on the Hawks' salary cap last season at more than $14.98 million, but is more likely to play the coming season for something in the range of the $5.6 million mid-level exception.

That conceivably could end up being with the Hawks, who have acquired Jamal Crawford ($9.36 million) from the Golden State Warriors and have drafted Wake Forest's Jeff Teague.

The Sixers have equally been doing their homework while they negotiate with Andy Miller, the agent for Andre Miller, their own free agent. The Sixers, according to the source, have been unwilling to accept Andy Miller's desire for a contract of three or four years for Andre Miller, who will turn 34 in March. Andre Miller was listed on the Sixers' cap at slightly more than $10.3 million last season.

For now, the source said, that is why both sides should be pursuing sign-and-trade scenarios.
Posted by Phil Jasner @ 10:34 AM  Permalink | 17 comments
17
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:39 PM, 07/03/2009
    Is it any wonder the Philadelphia fans have lost faith in the 76er's. It seems like the Right Hand don't know what the Left Hand is doing.
    — xmar
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:59 PM, 07/03/2009
    As a fan, you have to ask yourself if the team was not better off with Billy King than Ed S. The 76ers seem to be going backwards. Didn't they know last year Miller would want three years? Maybe they should have traded him. Thanks to Ed's moves last year the team has no salary cap room. The team drafted a player on potential who can't shoot and hasn't played the point since high school. They still don't have shooters to help Brand (Kapono is not enough or that good).
    — 76er
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:12 PM, 07/03/2009
    As a sixer fan, ask your self, what good move as Ed S. made. Seriously. This guy will likely cave and give Miller a 3-year deal. What choice does he have. He made a horrible draft selection in Holiday, who reminds me of the Larry Hughes pick. Wait, Hughes could scored a little in his one year at St. Louis. Ed S. has put the team further behind. They still have no shooters to help Brand (Kapono is not that good or enough).
    — 76er
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:13 PM, 07/03/2009
    Didnt I read a blog on the same topic on the same site that said the Sixers called Bibby, and he said, thanks, but no thanks. I hope this isnt a case of someone getting scooped and trying to come up with a different spin to get an article posted.
    — Pat c
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:35 PM, 07/03/2009
    The Sixers are in the middle ground between a crew of good-but-not-great veterans, and a young core that may develop into something special, but is not there yet. Given that nothing we can do will put us into the realm of the Magic/Cavs/Lakers/Celts, our plan, unfortunately, ought to be to rebuild toward 2011, when we'll have cap space and our young crew should be in its prime. Like it or not, it's all about 2011.
    — FKD215
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:16 PM, 07/03/2009
    Well which is it? Either the agent made "a call about Bibby" to the Sixers indicating some interest, or the Sixers called and the "interest was not mutual." Why on earth are there two articles on the front page of the website, with each headline stating the exact opposites? Is there no content editor? Which is it?
    — JPK512
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:00 PM, 07/03/2009
    Blah, blah, blah....I'll start paying more attention when real people have something to say instead of the convenient, mysterious "anonymous sources". I don't see why a 3 year deal for Miller would be THAT big of an obstacle. It could easily become a 2 year deal because in Year 3, he'd be an expiring contract and those are hot commodities in the NBA with the screwed up salary-cap system that's in place. They could easily trade him in Year 3 if they wanted to.
    — JimG
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:31 PM, 07/03/2009
    A Ig is the albatross. Ridiculous contract for a guy who is a great athlete but average ball player, funky dribble, weird inconsistent shot, etc. We'll keep making the playoffs in the 4-8 seed and Ed S. will be forced to gamble on mid-first round draft choices, its like groundhog day.
    — alswi
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:21 PM, 07/03/2009
    Bring back Iverson yeah baby
    — TommyGun
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:34 AM, 07/04/2009
    You need a veteran point guard for at least this year. I have no idea if Jrue can run the point right now or ever, but you at least need to sign a true point for this upcoming season. I love Lou Will as a 6th man off the bench, but I'm terrified to watch him run the show. Ed's hands are tied in a lot of ways right now. You have no legit player at any of the positions right now, just a lot of guys who "can play at" everything. When Jason Smith is talked about as an answer to the Dalembert problem, you're screwed. I wouldn't hate Bibby, as long as we get him for cheaper and less years than Miller wants.
    — Wissinoming
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:26 AM, 07/04/2009
    I don't know whether who called who or what was said in regards to Bibby but if this story is accurate and the Sixers have any shot to land this guy,this is a no brainer move of the highest order especially with this dog and pony show with Miller only to see him reject any Sixer offer and end up with some western team in a month whcih is what we all know is going to happen.If the Sixers have a chance to sign him and they pass it up then I really wonder what Stefanski is trying to do.There is not one guard on this team with any pedigree and if Ed thinks he can just shuffle all these unproven,role playing guards around and have any success then he is sadly mistaken.
    — flyers orange 123
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:59 AM, 07/04/2009
    They should've traded Miller at the deadline in 08-09. I hate how execs in the NBA stress the importance of "making the playoffs" in a league (the NBA obviously) with least amount of parity of ANY of the current pro sports leagues. You've got Lakers, Spurs, Denver (maybe) as really good teams and MAYBE an up and comer in Portalnd out West. You have the Cavs, Celtics, Pistons, Magic (maybe...not sure about the Vince Carter Deal/losing Hedo), and MAYBE an up and comer in Chicago (though THEY lost Ben Gordon, their best scorer, and are REALLY young). Other than that the teams are mediocre to just plain bad with no real upside or room for growth (which is why I included the Bulls and Blazers...they're young enough right now, with enough upside where sneaking into the playoffs at 7 or 8 is important). There's only two ways to win in this league under the current CBA: trade away your picks and mortgage your future for a win-now philosophy a la the Celtics or suck for a while and draft in the lottery for 2 or 3 years a la the Blazers (though, this assumes you have a good front office/scouting department). But really, you need to SUCK for 2 or 3 years in EITHER scenario, so you have the sorts of draft picks that can command a Ray Allen. I'm tired of GM's and coaches and writers talking about how important it is to make it to the playoffs. If it were the NCAA playoffs, a one and done sort of deal, then yes, you're correct. Get in the tourney, and it's very often the hottest/luckiest team not the most talented that wins out. But it's not. In a best of 7 series, it's hard to catch lightning in a bottle.
    — MattKnife
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:14 AM, 07/04/2009
    Miller has to go because he isn't good enough to win a championship. He's just not a good enough defender. Stefanski needs to find a point that can help run the team until Jrue can do it. Andre Iguodala can bring the ball up if necessary. And there are plenty of free agent guards out there to pair with him if Jrue takes time to develop. What's holding back the Sixers this summer is the contracts Billy King signed to Willie Green and Sam Dalembert.
    — ricky
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:07 AM, 07/04/2009
    ricky: You have to joking. STIFFanski is saying one thing and doing another. I don't think he knew the talent on this team. He made ridiculous moves if Ben Gordon got 55 mil why did Iguodala get 80 mil. Why would sign Brand without working him out. Why would you trade a shooter then say we need a shooter. If you are a playoff team in need of depth why draft a kid that probably won't contribute much. A lot of people dogged Billy King. At least he respected the fans. He let you know what direction he was trying to go. STIFFanski has no business running a team. Teams around us are trading for ALL STARS. What has he done trade for a shooter to replace the shooter he shouldn't have traded in the first place. When he got Brand he said now we have a player that can create a double team. I didn't see Brand get doubled when he was healthy. STIFFanski is our version of the OUTBREAK MONKEY.
    — BigVilFromWestPhil


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About Bob Cooney
Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for more than 20 years, working in the sports department for the past 15. This is his third season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he was the La Salle beat writer for six seasons. E-mail Bob at cooneyb@phillynews.com and follow him on Twitter.

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