<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>There were a couple of Ed Stefanski mentions in the Sunday papers, he's the guy on the left of this picture who is holding up a jersey signifying just how many wins he would like the 76ers to procure this season, and he's been entrusted to handle the reins of a rebuilding process after the nightmare that was the Billy King Era. And make no mistake; it has to be a rebuilding process: because Ed can't listen to this ridiculous suggestion that has the Sixers going all out to win 40 games, make the playoffs, and enjoy another outstanding 16th pick in the draft. Stefanski made waves last week when he pointed out that he's not really desperate to unload Andre Miller, the sound point guard who will turn 32 next March and make close to 20-million dollars this year and the next. Miller is a good player with some value around the league, but he's also ill-fit for a rebuilding process that doesn't need a point man entering his down years while making eight-figures. The Stefanski line about not really wanting to trade him was just a bit of posturing; he knows what's going on, he's going to want expiring contracts, and he's going to want some draft picks. The trade that sent Kyle Korver to Utah last week for Gordon Giricek's expiring deal and a first-rounder made these expectations obvious. Whatever happens from here and to the February 21st trade deadline doesn't matter, the Sixers will have cap room this summer. Even if they sign or match an Andre Iguodala contract offer that starts at 10-million a year (we're assuming Calvin Booth picks up his player option, thanks Billy!), the team is looking at six or seven million in cap space this summer. Should they trade Miller for an expiring, that figure shoots up to maybe 18-million (we're estimating the 2008-09 salary cap, so bear with us), so there's room to move. But for what? Yeah, if you gave Ben Gordon 60-million bucks to play for your team over five years, that would probably be enough to force the skinflint Chicago Bulls from matching the offer, but what are you left with? Five years of Ben Gordon at an average of 12-million per, just for the sake of using that cap space? Gilbert Arenas is going to want to come to this mess, for (likely) less than what the Wizards could and would offer him? Luol Deng's not going anywhere, so do you feel like taking a shot at Shaun Livingston? Sign-and-trades are a nice hypothetical to throw out there, but you have to locate a player that wants to be a part of the rebuilding process. Nobody's a bigger Elton Brand fan than I, he's likely one of the more underrated and (more specifically) underappreciated players of the last 20 years; but if he opts out of his contract this summer, we're looking at a 29-year old power forward who is coming off a significant Achilles tear. This is a player that needs to put a good team over the edge, not someone to pair with your crew of youngsters (Andre Iguodala is 23, Louis Williams, 21) and try to take on the league with. Sans, with Brand and AI signed up, any cap space beyond this summer. And Iggy's another question altogether. A fine player, who shouldn't be punished for the fact that he's putting up big numbers on a lousy team (he's far from selfish); but in a perfect world, you'd want AI on your team averaging 18 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, because this would mean he's be your third-best player. If that. And though he's probably worth a contract that nearly averages eight-figures, you're under no obligation to give him that: the Sixers will be the only team with significant cap room this summer, so you'd essentially be bidding against yourself to retain Iguodala's services. Andre could take a chance at life as an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2009, but he'd probably be more willing to take a solid five-year deal from the Sixers instead. Know this going in, and don't overpay. This stuff isn't easy. It's a bad time to rebuild, any player worth their price tag has already been retained by their own teams, anyone close to stardom (Luol Deng in Chicago, for instance) will see a contract offer matched by the team that holds their rights, and you have to (assuming you're good at this whole "building a team that isn't lousy"-thing) try to come close to matching your best players' primes. Unless the players in question are Shaq and Kobe or Admiral and Duncan, having a 30-year old do his damage alongside a 24-year old doesn't usually result in a championship. There aren't any easier answers and, frankly, I'm not sure the pieces are in place for a successful (meaning, "building a squad with championship potential," and not just a pretty good team) rebuilding. The timing, if anything, is pretty tricky. Stefanski has the right idea - clear cap space, don't fall in love with any of the holdovers, don't give Andre Miller away - but executing the plan is another story altogether.</div> Source: Yahoo Sports
