If the question is whether Andre Iguodala is the No. 1 player around whom the 76ers will build their future, the answer remains more than somewhat hazy.

If the question is whether Iguodala, as a restricted free agent, is president/general manager Eddie Stefanski's No. 1 priority, the answer is unequivocally yes.

In a teleconference yesterday with reporters, Stefanski said Iguodala, " . . . is a very good basketball player. I think - I know - he's a guy we'd like to keep, going forward here.

"Now, negotiations are negotiations," Stefanski said. "What I've said numerous times is, we're trying to get a 'team.' We're not built to run [the Detroit Pistons'] style, but if we can get a team like that and have a style we'd like to play, which is an up-tempo style, that would be our goal."

Neither Stefanski nor Iguodala's agent, Rob Pelinka, contacted by the Daily News, is permitted by the rules of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement to comment on negotiations concerning free agents until July 1.

Even then, deals cannot be formally finalized until July 9.

Iguodala, remember, rejected an in-season offer of an extension worth slightly more than $57 million. At 24, in his fourth season - the completion of his rookie contract - he led the Sixers in scoring at 19.9 points and was the motor of a team that erupted from an 18-30 start to finish 40-42 and earn its first postseason berth in three seasons.

Iguodala, who - at least publicly - never looked back after rejecting the extension, has made it a priority to try to develop as a leader. To that end, Pelinka said Iguodala was in Los Angeles earlier this week to attend the news conference announcing the Lakers' Kobe Bryant as the league's Most Valuable Player. Iguodala and Bryant share the services of Pelinka, and Iguodala has placed major value on what he can learn from Bryant in various aspects, including training, skills and leadership.

Iguodala, who, with point guard Andre Miller, was the focal point of the Pistons' smothering defense, saw his average drop to 13.2 in the six-game series loss; he shot just 33.3 percent from the floor, hitting only 2 of 14 three-point attempts.

"If [Detroit] wants to take someone out of the offense of the other team, they can do that," Stefanski said. "There's no question they loaded up on both Andres. I don't think you can say Andre Iguodala is a No. 1 yet either way, because he's 24 years old. Will he get there is something we'll have to know.

"He'll have to shoot the ball better, which he knows; he's going to work on it, he has worked on it. He is getting better; he will get better. I think [he's] a good fit for our team. Is he the '1' man on our team right now? He has to prove that, [but] I'll take a lot of Andre Iguodalas on our team, just like the Detroit Pistons have. Do they have a '1' man? They have a lot of good players on their team."

In the course of the teleconference, Stefanski also said:

* He would meet with coach Maurice Cheeks "in the near future, let's say the next few weeks" about the possibility of an additional contract extension. Stefanski gave Cheeks a 1-year extension through next season during the just-completed season, but said at the time he wanted an additional opportunity to evaluate the situation.

As it turns out, Cheeks appears to have strengthened his position by turning down a 1-year team option that would have given him some additional guaranteed income.

* He is "very comfortable" with both senior vice president/assistant GM Tony DiLeo and director of player personnel Courtney Witte.

"I would like them to be with the organization as we build this," Stefanski said.

* Any discussion of a possible extension for Miller would probably wait until "before the season starts." Miller, 32, has 1 year remaining on his contract at a salary of $10 million.

"There's two sides to this thing," Stefanski said. "I don't know where Andre's totally thinking right now. I don't think you guys know, either, because Andre's a man of few words."

* With a little more than $11 million available in salary-cap space, the personnel priority is to try to add a power forward.

"If it was a perfect world, I'd like a power forward to fall from the skies who can play with his back to the basket, but it's not a perfect world," Stefanski said.

* Ownership would be willing to pay a luxury tax if it meant adding "a guy who is a star who can turn us totally around."

* The team can improve its perimeter shooting internally with Thaddeus Young, Lou Williams (also a restricted free agent), Iguodala and Rodney Carney.

"All four will improve their outside shooting just because it's not broken, and they'll do a lot of repetitions and hard work [in the offseason]," Stefanski said. "Having said that, sure, we'd love to get another shooter in here." *