It isn't really accurate to say Royal Ivey is returning to the 76ers , because he never really left.
Oh, Ivey opted out of the second leg of the contract he signed in 2008 and became an unrestricted free agent, mostly in search of a little more money. Agent Keith Glass said he "talked to some teams," but that Ivey becoming a free agent wasn't really about a desire to leave the Sixers . "We're very, very happy to be back in Philadelphia," Glass said yesterday, after Ivey passed his physical examination and signed a new contract. "When we opted out, it wasn't a reflection on the Sixers , it was a belief that Royal is worth more than the minimum, and that's been born out."
Glass would not divulge specifics about Ivey's new contract, but a source familiar with the situation said it was for 1 year, worth slightly more than the $959,111 veterans' minimum.
"It's a great spot for him," Glass said. "He knows everybody, and they know him and respect what he does. And I think he has a chance to play more minutes this season."
Sixers president/general manager Ed Stefanski said in a statement: "We are fortunate to be able to bring back Royal Ivey, an experienced guard with good size who is familiar with our team and core philosophies. Prior to making a decision on signing an additional guard, coach [Eddie] Jordan expressed his interest in acquiring a player who puts the team first and plays aggressive defense, both qualities embodied by Royal."
Ivey gives the Sixers a four-man guard line, joining Lou Williams, Willie Green and first-round draft choice Jrue Holiday, with Andre Iguodala available either as a backcourt player or as a point forward.
The 6-4 Ivey appeared in 71 games last season, averaging 3.0 points in 12.1 minutes. He had 36 steals against 23 turnovers, the sixth-best ratio in the NBA. A second-round pick of Atlanta in 2004, he spent three seasons with the Hawks and one with the Milwaukee Bucks before joining the Sixers .
Six ShotsThe Sixers are expected to sign free agent center Primoz Brezec later this week. Agent Marc Cornsterin confirmed last week that he had reached an agreement in principle. Brezec is believed to be accepting a 1-year deal worth $965,185 . . . Sixers Samuel Dalembert and Willie Green just completed a Basketball Without Borders trip in Mexico. This was Dalembert's eighth appearance and Green's first in the leaguewide program. *
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