Source: Sixers considering Iverson return

The 76ers are considering bringing back Allen Iverson, according to a source close to the situation.

If this deal happens, it could be completed early this week.

Since trading Iverson - the top pick in the 1996 NBA draft and a 10-time all-star - to the Denver Nuggets in December 2006, the Sixers emphatically have denied having any desire to reconnect with their former franchise point guard.

According to the source, that has changed.

The Sixers are 5-11, and on Thursday starting point guard Lou Williams had his jaw wired shut, an injury that will sideline him for eight weeks. Williams' broken jaw was the catalyst that led the Sixers to consider a reunion with Iverson, who spent the first 10-plus seasons of his career with the team.

Earlier this month, Iverson, 34, parted ways with the Memphis Grizzlies after playing only three games with the team. After his trade by the Sixers, Iverson played parts of three seasons for the Nuggets and half a season with the Detroit Pistons.

On Thursday, the NBA's 2001 MVP announced his retirement, although his name continued to swirl around NBA teams and he publicly said he thought he had plenty of game left.

Iverson had signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with Memphis, and it's believed the Sixers would need less than that - maybe as little as $2 million - to sign the guard for the remainder of the season.

"He's loved in Philly," Charlotte's Larry Brown, who coached Iverson with the Sixers, told the Associated Press last night. "He did a phenomenal job for that franchise."

In 13-plus NBA seasons, Iverson has a career average of 27.0 points per game, but he's had difficulty accepting a lesser role since being traded by Denver early last season.

The source within the Sixers said that Iverson is under consideration to fill the gap created by Williams, but that he is one of a few players the team is considering. According to a second source, players on the team's list also include Antonio Daniels and Gabe Pruitt.

Daniels, a 12-year veteran, most recently played for the New Orleans Hornets and has a career average of 7.6 points per game. Pruitt played last season for the Boston Celtics and has a career average of 2.0 points in 62 games.

Regarding the Iverson situation, a third source said the next step in the process would be a possible face-to-face meeting between Sixers coach Eddie Jordan and Iverson, who lives in Atlanta. The source said that as of yesterday, no meeting had been set up.

Yesterday, Jordan and the Sixers flew to San Antonio, Texas, where they will play the Spurs in the first game of four on a weeklong trip. Tomorrow night, the Sixers play at the Dallas Mavericks, after which they have a two-day break before visiting Oklahoma City.

This third source said Jordan's whereabouts on Tuesday, after the Dallas game, would indicate whether the Sixers are pursuing Iverson.