In more ways than one.

Tonight, the league will release its updated salary cap figures. That will determine exactly how much the Sixers have to spend when teams can begin officially signing free agents tomorrow.

Then, all eyes will turn to Elton Brand. Which team he chooses to sign with - most reports suggest the Clippers as the favorite over Golden State - could decide how the rest of the market will swing.

Until then, agents and team officials are keeping quiet.

If the Warriors can't lure Brand away, they would join the Sixers in the pursuit of the remaining top available players. Golden State has plenty of money to spend after losing Baron Davis to Los Angeles. The Warriors are believed to have offered Brand between $10 million and $20 million more than Los Angeles, capital that would free up if Brand doesn't sign.

The Sixers expect to have around $11.5 million to spend. That number could go up or down depending on the league's adjustments.

Golden State could be interested in the same players as the Sixers, including Josh Smith, who visited Philadelphia last week. Smith's agent, Brian Dyke, would not comment.

Smith's teammate in Atlanta, Josh Childress, also a restricted free agent, is a possibility. His agent, James Tanner, could not be reached for comment.

Another target, Corey Maggette has interest from a number of teams, including Boston, San Antonio and Detroit, according to published reports. But those teams can offer only the midlevel exception (around $5.8 million annually).

Any team can sign restricted free agents to an offer tomorrow. The player's current team then has seven days to match the offer.

If the Sixers do indeed have $11.5 million to spend, their maximum offer to Smith could be five years, $66.7 million.

One additional possibility is New Jersey center Nenad Krstic, also a restricted free agent. His agent, Marc Cornstein, who also represents Sixers center Samuel Dalembert, said Krstic would be a good fit alongside Dalembert.

Krstic, 25, played in only 45 games last season while dealing with a knee injury that Cornstein says is now healed. For his career, Krstic has averaged 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

But he is likely a backup plan for the 76ers as they go after the higher-profile targets, a pursuit that will soon intensify.

"Once we get through the first wave and frenzy of free agency, things settle in," Cornstein said. "I'd say that's where we are now."