Posted by Brian Windhorst

The 76ers are in Salt Lake for a reunion game with the Jazz tonight, just five days after making an interesting trade.  Ross Siler of the Salt Lake Tribune tells us that Gordan Giricek is already living well in Philly while Kyle Korver is causing a playing time crunch already in Utah.  This deal, though, is deeper than just the players that were swapped.

There is no doubt that new Sixers general manager Ed Stefanski is starting his remaking of the 76ers and there is likely more to come.  The trade sending Korver to Utah sent a loud message: the Sixers are tearing down to build up and doing it now.  Stefanski won't say that, it's bad business both in the locker room and on the market.  In fact, he sought out the Philly beat writers the other day in Seattle to get the message out that he's not shopping point guard Andre Miller or anyone else on his roster.  

Smells like sheer posturing.  After swapping out Korver for Giricek and his expiring contact, the 76ers are in position to have at least $10 million in free and clear salary-cap space next summer, the most of any team right now.  They may even get some more depending on how they deal with the restricted free agency of Andre Iguodala and Louis Williams.  Here's a little lesson on teams with salary-cap room, which the Giricek trade confirmed: they always want more.  Stefanski didn't get hired in the middle of the season to leave the roster alone and he didn't sell Sixers chairman Ed Snider on making trades to guarantee Philly the eighth playoff seed this season.  The Korver deal didn't make them better now, but it certainly helped their outlook.  The philosophy is clear.

In putting Korver on the market, Stefanski got a bidding war going.  There were several teams -- San Antonio and Miami along with Utah according to reports -- offering packages for him.  It ultimately forced the Jazz to toss in a first round pick.  Now there's little doubt Stefanski is doing the same with Miller and perhaps others on his roster.  Denying the players are available and saying he's not going to be making calls is nice tactic to sweeten the incoming offers.  Expiring contracts, picks, cheap young prospects, Stefanski is after them all.  So let the bidding begin.