As the Andre Miller free-agent watch continues, the 76ers yesterday signed the player they are expecting to be their point guard of the future - Jrue Holiday.
The Sixers took the 19-year-old Holiday, who played only one season at UCLA, with the 17th overall pick in the NBA draft in June. In his first taste of pro ball, Holiday averaged 8.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists for the combined team that the Sixers and the New Jersey Nets entered in the Orlando Pro Summer League earlier this month.
"We're very happy to have Jrue under contract, and we expect big things from him," said Sixers president and general manager Ed Stefanski. "He's got a lot of work in front of him, but we expect him to fulfill his potential."
Holiday and his agent, Dan Fegan, could not be reached for comment.
The contract terms were not announced, but the NBA's sliding pay scale for first-round picks indicates that Holiday should earn about $3.4 million over the next two seasons.
While he is still looking to add a veteran point guard - the door has not completely closed on Miller - Stefanski is considering which other unrestricted free agents to go after. He is looking to fill at least three other spots on the roster.
As for Miller, TNT's David Aldridge reported that the Portland Trail Blazers have again contacted Miller's agent, Andy Miller, but that a deal was not imminent.
Stefanski wants to add a swingman and a pair of frontcourt players to bolster the Sixers' depth. The Sixers are not expected to offer any of the free agents they have targeted anywhere near the midlevel exception of $6 million.
As of yesterday afternoon, 84 NBA players were free to make a deal with any team.
So many players being available this late in the summer seems to support commissioner David Stern's statement last week that only half the league's teams made money last season. Because of the recession, Stern also forecast a drop in ticket revenue and sponsorship deals.
"It's been as slow a summer as I can remember," said agent Keith Glass, who represents free agent Royal Ivey of the 2008-09 Sixers . "It shows teams are watching their money and stretching it out longer than ever before. It's the first time in a long time that teams are watching their dollars like they should have been all along.
"Most guys will get signed. But the question is: for how much? This is not a good summer to have an unrealistic client or to be an unrealistic agent."
Contact staff writer Kevin Tatum at 215-854-2583 or ktatum@phillynews.com.
