Inside the Sixers: Dalembert deal not a surprise

Whether the deal came with a bag of balls or two players about as helpful, the point of emphasis here is that Samuel Dalembert (and all that came with him) is no longer a 76er.

That has been a long time coming.

There are a couple of different views regarding Thursday's trade of Dalembert to the Sacramento Kings for center Spencer Hawes and swingman Andres Nocioni.

1. For two years, the Sixers have been trying to trade Dalembert, who looks forward to basketball season about the same way a vampire anticipates daybreak. The guy did not like basketball. He showed up late, didn't work on improving his game, and took every opportunity to stay away from the practice court.

With Dalembert as your team's starting center, you weren't going to be a winning basketball team. Everyone within the organization will tell you he's a fantastic guy, and this is true, but he weighed the team down like an anchor, both on the financial books and on the court.

It wasn't until the last few months that Dalembert's epic contract, as was expected, went from impossible-to-trade to somewhat desirable. The final $13 million of his contract comes off the books at the end of the 2010-11 season, making him one of those sought-after "expiring contracts."

For two years, who has been the one making phone calls around the league? That would be Ed Stefanski, Sixers president and general manager. Stefanski knew that entering another season with Dalembert as your starting center would be like setting sail with a hole in your boat.

Stefanski found a team willing to take Dalembert. Exactly who came on the other side of the trade - regardless of how it's now being spun - mattered very little.

2. The very moment that Dalembert went from liability to asset, Stefanski shipped him to the first available suitor. It feels a little like struggling through your car payments and then, just before the debt is about to come off the books multiplying your options, you trade it in for a different model and a new set of payments. Nocioni has $13.6 million left on his contract, through 2011-12. Hawes' deal could be allowed to expire after this season or he could be signed for a $4.5 million qualifying offer, so the Sixers lower their costs for the coming season, but take on more salary for the following season.

Using the above rationale, the trade was a mistake. Stefanski could have gotten more for Dalembert's lanky arms and expiring millions but instead took the first offer he found and left his team without a viable center.

The reality of the situation, it seems, is not so clear. The Sixers have traded away a player they know can't do the job, Dalembert, for a 22-year-old center, Hawes, who may or may not be able to do the job.

Will this trade have an impact on the Sixers' draft selection? It shouldn't. The Sixers have proved, year after year, that they will take the best available talent. This season, the best player available at the No. 2 spot will be Evan Turner. The Sixers will deal with their frontcourt weakness - little rebounding and defense - in the months afterward.

Last season, it became clear that the Kings were disappointed in Hawes' focus and toughness. And a source inside the NBA said that Nocioni is struggling with injuries and not playing at peak effectiveness, or "toughness" if you're to believe the legend of Nocioni.

But these are details that can't matter just yet.

Will Hawes be used to replace Dalembert in the starting lineup? Will Nocioni provide at least a measure of the toughness missing since Reggie Evans' departure? Will the Sixers' defense be even more suspect than last season?

Those are unknowns. What is known is that Dalembert could rebound, but didn't do it with passion; could block shots, but only for the next paycheck; and could have showed up to practice on time, but often didn't.

These were the known qualities of Samuel Dalembert. And they were qualities that didn't work in this city and weren't working within this team.