Comcastsportsnet.com recently sat down with Sixers’ GM Ed Stefanski, which you can find here. I am not going to rehash the entire interview here, but I did want to delve into the possible moves the Sixers could make after July 1st, the date the free agent market opens up.

During his interview Stefanski identified several areas where the Sixers will look to improve, including getting better in the half court.

“We got a little better as the season went on. We executed a little better. But there’s not doubt the staff can sit down, and we can do more things in order to execute better in the half court,” said Stefanski. “We know that’s a priority. And also, to help the staff, we could bring in a guy who can play with his back to the basket and maybe get a double-team once in a while. That may not be as easy to get, but if we get that, that will help our staff. But I know our staff is good enough that we will get better in the half court.”

Later on in the interview he divulges what he believes the Sixers’ biggest need is: a power forward.

“There’s no question we have to add to the team. If we can get that power forward, which is going to be difficult, but if we can get that kind of guy, that’s a guy that would be great to add to the team. Do we need an additional shooter? Yes. It’s going to depend,” he said. “We have $11 million in cap space. We could use all $11 on one player, or we could divide that up. So there are many options and plans that we have in place. … We need to add to the depth of this team.”

The Sixers are in the best position of any team in the league heading into this off-season, with the exception of the Carolina Bobcats, who have already stated they are not going to pursue any big free agent signings. In addition to possible outside free agent signings, the Sixers also have to look inward and decide how to handle restricted free agents Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams, as well as a possible contract extension for Andre Miller, who has one year remaining on his contract. Stefanski sounds confident that they will get deals done with Iguodala and Williams.

“We want to sign Andre Iguodala. We want to sign Lou Williams. We feel very comfortable that will sign both of these guys. I think they’re integral parts of our team. But there’s negotiations. That’s the business of basketball,” he said. “That can’t start until after July 1, but we’re going into with a positive attitude, and I’ve got to believe both the players and their representatives are going in with one”

A deal with Miller, however, does not sound as promising. When previously asked about his desire to remain with the Sixers, Miller, as he has his entire time here in Philly, was non-committal. While it was apparent, at least it seemed to me, that Miller was not happy that he was traded from the Denver Nuggets to Philly for Allen Iverson, I had hoped that the excitement of this year and the leadership role that Miller held on this team would entice him to sign a long term deal. While I am not as confident that that will be accomplished, Stefanski, who certainly knows more than I do, is not so dire, if still cautious.

“Andre Miller is a terrific basketball player. As I said, he’s better than what I expected. He’s a glue kind of guy for your team. Andre Miller is a man of few words, so I’m not surprised when he wasn’t really committing to staying in Philadelphia with a contract extension or not – that’s Andre Miller,” said the Sixers’ GM. “We’ll have talks down the road to see where his mind-set is. I don’t know where it is. I don’t know if he would like the extension, and I don’t know if he wants to stay in Philadelphia, but he’s the kind of guy that we would definitely explore all possibilities.”

There are hundreds of different scenarios that could play out in the coming months and year and I would like to delve into a few of them here. A lot of the Sixers’ needs depend on whether they can retain Iguodala, Miller and Williams. Iggy is the best player on this team from a scoring perspective, despite lacking a consistency that would allow him to be placed at the top of the league’s stars. Despite having a poor offensive playoffs, Iguodala led the team in points during the regular season, averaging 19.9 points per game this season, with 5.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per.

In my opinion Andrew Miller is the most important player on the team. While it would certainly be a blow to lose Iguodala, his scoring and rebounds could be replaced. It would be much harder to replace the experience, leadership, and basketball IQ of Miller. As Stefanski said during his interview,

“I didn’t realize Andre Miller was this good. He’s a glue-type of guy who’s a very, very good basketball player. From afar, I thought he was good. He’s better than I thought.”

Like Stefanski alluded to, Miller is the glue that holds this team together. He is the undisputed voice of experience and has one of the best basketball I.Q.s to ever play in Philly.  He and coach Maurice Cheeks have molded this very young, very inexperienced team into a serious contender. In my opinion, Miller is the most important player on the Sixers and is definitely the guy they need to hold on to.

While Miller still has another year on his contract, Williams is a free agent now. He is not ready to be the full time point guard on this team, but definitely has the talent to be that guy soon. That being said, I believe they should, and will, re-sign Williams. If Miller does indeed not come back then they will look to the inexperienced Williams to run the point. If Miller does re-sign, he will be able to continue to mentor Williams, who would most likely replace Miller, who is not the youngest guy out there.

Nevertheless, there is always the possibility that the Sixers don’t re-sign Iguodala, Williams, or Miller. Even if they do re-sign both Iguodala and Williams in the coming months, they still need another piece or two to make a serious championship push next season.

Here’s a quick look through the top echelon of this off-season’s free agent crop.

The Sixers’ biggest need regardless who they re-sign is a serious presence at power forward. Reggie Evans and Thadeus Young did a very good job this season at the position, but still only averaged less than 17 points per game combined. Available free agent power forwards include Emeka Okafor (13.4 ppg), Luol Deng (17), Josh Smith (17.2), Elton Brand (17.6), Shawn Marion (15.4), Antawn Jamison (21.4) and Ron Artest (20.5). Those are some serious players. Marion looks like the best bet to move on as the Miami Heat appeared to trade for him with the idea in mind that he was to be a free agent, simply looking to rid themselves of the massive contract of Shaquille O’Neill. The Heat were the worst team in the league last year and after spending nine seasons with the Phoenix Suns, Marion is sure to look to a contender to sign with, which the Sixers proved that they were this season. Jamison is considered the top unrestricted power forward free agent, whereas Smith is considered the top restricted free agent, meaning that the Atlanta Hawks can match any offer made to Smith.

The Sixers could spend all of their $11 million in cap room on one player, or they could use it on a couple players, or make a trade and possible make more cap space. They made need to use all or most of the $11 million to attract one of the bigger name players who are looking for a fat contract, but Stefanski believes that the Sixers are now an attractive team to star free agents.

“There’s no question we’re a team that’s moving in the right direction,” Stefanski said in a recent telephone conference with PhillyBurbs.com. “And the bottom line is the dollar, so people will want to know if we have the money to pay guys. We’re sitting in a nice cap situation right now — about $11 million under it.”

If the Sixers decide not to pursue a power forward, or are unable to attract one, which I find unlikely, they could look to sign an outside shooter. The Sixers were last in the league in 3-point shooting during the 2007-08 season, a fact not helped by trading 3-point shooting specialist Kyle Korver.

One person who could be a free agent this summer and would certainly provide an outside shooting threat is former Sixer and current Denver Nugget Allen Iverson. While it is unlikely that AI is going to leave Denver, and even less likely that he would return to Philly, it still poses an interesting scenario. Other notable, and more likely possibilities, are Gilbert Arenas, Baron Davis, Ben Gordon, Michael Finley, and Steve Francis. Arenas is a 6′4″ point guard who averages just under 20 points per game, along with just over 5 assists. He has openly said that he plans to opt out of his contract and according to a recent Baltimore Sun article, Arenas stated on his blog that if the Wizards do not re-sign Antawn Jamison, then he is definitely not staying. Arenas is a bit of a headache and has had a tenuous relationship with the Wizards management during his five year career in Washington. He is a prime candidate to move on this off-season and someone to keep an eye on.

With the excitement of a young up and coming team and $11 million in cap room, the Sixers are in a prime position to attract some serious talent this off-season. I for one am looking forward to seeing how they intend to improve themselves. Look at what the acquisition of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen did to the Boston Celtics, one of the worst teams in the league last year. The possibilities are endless.

For a complete list of the 2008 free agents, go here.