Intriguing speculation surrounding Sixers, Ohio State 7-footer

The 76ers' stated NBA draft plan has been to take a perimeter player at No. 17.

That, of course, makes perfect sense. They have only two full-fledged guards on the roster: Willie Green and Lou Williams. They have no way of knowing whether point guard Andre Miller, arguably their most important player last season, will re-sign. We're not even totally sure that's what they want.

So, they need guard help. Maybe it's Ty Lawson from North Carolina, or Eric Maynor from Virginia Commonwealth. Maybe it's Jeff Teague from Wake Forest, or Darren Collison from UCLA. Maybe it's someone we haven't even considered.

But if that's their most pressing need, why has there been speculation in the last couple of days that they're trying to arrange a predraft workout for B.J. Mullens, the 7-foot Ohio State center?

Mullens started two of 33 games as a freshman, averaging 8.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 20.3 minutes. By all accounts, any team drafting him will have to wait at least a year or 2 for him to develop and mature.

"We're focused on a perimeter player," Sixers president/general manager Ed Stefanski said. He has said that from Day 1.

So, could interest in Mullens mean that the Sixers' personnel staff thinks it can can get a guard elsewhere, either by acquiring another pick in the first or second round, or via trade or free agency?

Those are things the Sixers don't talk about publicly in the days leading up to the June 25 draft. And it's hard to be critical at this point, because their recent top picks have been mostly solid and productive: Andre Iguodala, No. 9, 2004; Williams, No. 45 (their first pick), 2005; Rodney Carney, No. 16, 2006; Thaddeus Young, No. 12, 2007; Jason Smith, No. 20, 2007;and Marreese Speights, No. 16, 2008.

Still, B.J. Mullens? A 7-foot center?

Camping on Hawk Hill

 

A source with knowledge of the situation has confirmed that the Sixers will hold training camp at Saint Joseph's in the new Ramsay Basketball Center that will be dedicated June 26. The Hawks are scheduled to hold a media open house June 25. The Sixers held their 2008-09 camp at Penn State, after '07-08 at Duke and '06-07 in Barcelona, Spain.

'Beach Bash' is back

 

The Sixers will hold their summer "Beach Bash" July 25 at Jack's Place in Avalon. Admission to the bar area for fans 21 and older will be $10, with a portion of the proceeds going to Sixers Charities and Coaches vs. Cancer.

Sam stuff

 

A message board somewhere floated a trade in which the Sixers would send Samuel Dalembert to Charlotte for Nazr Mohammed and Vladimir Radmanovic, with the possibility of a flip of No. 17 for No. 12.

If that proposal has legs, at least right now, we can't find them.

Six shots

 

A source confirmed that Jim Lynam, a Sixers assistant coach since 2005-06, working with head coaches Maurice Cheeks and Tony DiLeo, will remain on the staff of new coach Eddie Jordan.

Lynam will join new assistant Mike O'Koren and holdover assistant Aaron McKie. The source said assistants Jeff Ruland, John Loyer and Bernie Smith will not return.

Lynam's resume includes 10 seasons as an NBA head coach with the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers, the Sixers and the then-Washington Bullets; he also is a former Sixers general manager. *

For more Sixers coverage, read the Daily News' Sixers blog, Sixerville, at http://go.philly.com/sixerville.