Dalembert, an eight-year pro, has a hefty contract (two years, $25 million remaining), with a trade kicker that would force his new team to pay an additional $3.7 million in upfront money.

"You can never say the grass is going to be greener," Dalembert said. "In my case, it's who thinks they can utilize you more.

"It seems, also, what's best for the team. I have no problem with my team. The frustration came at the beginning (of the season) when we were losing and I wasn't playing that much. I feel like I can help. If I'm on the bench, I cannot help."

But Dalembert's penchant for getting into foul trouble, as well as his continued inability to avoid goaltending and over-the-back fouls, is getting old. Also, his best offensive move -- if not an alley-oop dunk -- is a 15-foot jump shot, sometimes of the fade-away variety. Since Dalembert is an athletic 6-11 center, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

"Sometimes, as much as you want to be here, a team might feel like it's time for a fresh start or maybe go in a different (direction) or think somebody might be better for this system," Dalembert said. "We'll work things out. It's nothing personal."

--Ed Stefanski has a lot of offseason decisions to make. Some appear to be difficult and will have a significant impact on the future of the franchise.

Stefanski must decide if he wants to bring back interim coach Tony DiLeo, who guided the Sixers to a 32-27 record after replacing Maurice Cheeks on Dec. 13. DiLeo simplified things for the players by focusing on several key issues (limiting turnovers, getting out on the break, etc.), but the Sixers' inexcusably poor performance in a 114-89 elimination-game loss to the Dwight Howard-less Magic wasn't a good way to end the season. Would Stefanski consider somebody with experience (Avery Johnson? Eddie Jordan?) over DiLeo, a longtime front-office man?

Next, Andre Miller becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1. Miller is a terrific floor general with a knack for finding open teammates and scoring when the Sixers need him to and he's the only true point guard on the roster, but he's 33 and a defensive liability.

If the Sixers aren't going to contend in the Eastern Conference for several years, does it make sense to bring Miller back? And with the salary cap and luxury tax likely to drop because of the economy, signing Miller for anything close to the $10 million he made this season would likely preclude the Sixers from using the mid-level exception on a shooter. That Miller skipped the season-ending team meeting May 1 might be a sign that he's headed in another direction.

Stefanski has to hope that $82 million free agent Elton Brand is a better fit -- assuming the Sixers continue to try to push the pace -- than he was in his first year with the team. Cheeks' attempt to incorporate Brand into the offense, at the expense of the running game, cost him his job. Part of the reason for DiLeo's limited success was that he had Brand for only six games following his Dec. 17 shoulder injury, which resulted in season-ending surgery.

Another issue for Stefanski is that Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young are both best-suited for the small forward position. Brand's injury allowed DiLeo to move Young back to undersized power forward, where he spent much of his rookie season, but he doesn't rebound or defend well enough in the low post to stay there. Unless Iguodala or Young dramatically improves his outside shooting, Iguodala will likely start at small forward and Young at the "three" spot, which would permit opposing defenses to pack it in and allow the Sixers, who were again at the bottom of the league in three-point shooting, as many long jumpers as they want.

SEASON HIGHLIGHT: Andre Iguodala's buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave the Sixers a 94-93 victory over the Lakers at the Staples Center on March 17. It capped a 14-point fourth-quarter comeback against the best team in the Western Conference and gave the Sixers a four-game win streak, not to mention plenty of confidence that they could play with elite teams, both home and away.

TURNING POINT: Signing Elton Brand to a five-year, $82 million free agent contract July 9. That gave the Sixers four players (Brand, Andre Iguodala, Samuel Dalembert and Andre Miller) earning at least $10 million this season and served to hamstring the Sixers financially for years to come. Unless Brand plays at a much higher level than he did in an injury-plagued 29-game first season in Philly, this could turn out to be a really bad move.