TheBasketballJunkie.com

Both Andre Miller and Theo Ratliff skipped the Philadelphia 76ers last team meeting on Friday. Both players, who become unrestricted free agents on July 1st, could be trying to send a message with their absence.

Ratliff complained about interim coach Tony DiLeo after their embarrassing 25-point loss in game six to the Orlando Magic, who were playing without suspended center Dwight Howard.

"You have to step up and get into guys," Ratliff complained. "If [as the coach] you don't have that type of personality, to be able to go at guys . . . You've seen the mistakes and all that going on. Was anybody getting talked to about that?"

However, Andre Miller's agent (Andy Miller) said that Andre Miller thought the last meeting was optional.

"He would like to re-sign with Philadelphia if the opportunity presented itself," Andy Miller said.

Stefanski has said that no player is "untouchable," but he has said that the Sixers want Miller back.

"Do we want Andre back? I've said over and over we'd like to have Andre back," [Sixers team president and GM Ed] Stefanski said. "But if Andre doesn't want to come back, he's an unrestricted free agent. That's his call."

The Sixers tried to trade Dalembert before and found no takers. With two years and $23 million left on his contract as well as a 15% trade kicker, the likelihood of finding a team interested is slim to none.

"The taste of [Thursday's blowout loss] is going to be in our mouths for a little bit," Stefanski conceded. "But we're going to get over it as an organization. We do like the nucleus of players that we have here."

They get back Elton Brand, but the Sixers need to fit Brand into their up-tempo style better, and center Jason Smith, who believes he could "compete for that starting spot."

The Sixers will likely draft a three-point shooter with the 17th-overall pick in the June 25th NBA draft.