FanPost

SIXERS OFFER IVERSON 1 YEAR DEAL

I hope this is true and Iverson will sign it.

source from: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=470415

PHILADELPHIA -- Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers are close to a reunion.

A person with knowledge of the contract talks says the Sixers offered a one-year, non-guaranteed contract to Iverson on Tuesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract talks had not been made public.

Iverson, his agent and business manager met with team president Ed Stefanski, coach Eddie Jordan and two other members of the organization Monday during the first formal meeting between the Sixers and their former MVP.

Iverson announced his retirement last week after an ill-fated stint with the Memphis Grizzlies. The 10-time All-Star was NBA MVP in 2001 when he led the Sixers to the NBA Finals.

CSNPhilly.com first reported the offer.

ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported early Tuesday that the Sixers, according to two sources close to the situation, were targeting Monday's home game against the Denver Nuggets for Iverson's return to the team that drafted him in 1996.

After club officials met face-to-face with Iverson and his representatives for nearly two hours Monday before Philadelphia's 104-102 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, three of the organization's key figures -- Jordan, Stefanski and Comcast-Spectacor chairman Ed Snider -- all insisted publicly that no firm decision has been made on re-signing Iverson for the rest of the season.

But sources stressed to ESPN.com that plans behind the scenes had progressed to a level where Iverson's return was now regarded by both sides as far more likely than not. Although it remains unclear whether Iverson has the leverage to command anything more than a prorated share of the $1.3 million veterans' minimum, all indications late Monday suggested that only an unforeseen about-face by the Sixers could prevent Iverson from formally rejoining them by week's end.

One source told ESPN.com that the team has already made tentative plans to send assistant coach and former Iverson teammate Aaron McKie home from the Sixers' current road trip to meet Iverson in Philadelphia later this week and work him out to ensure Iverson's readiness for the Denver game. The Sixers play Thursday in Oklahoma City and Saturday in Charlotte before returning to Philadelphia.

Although another team insider cautioned that no deal with Iverson should be considered done until it's official -- especially after the New York Knicks seemed to get just as close to signing Iverson earlier this month before electing to back out at the 11th hour -- there was an unquestioned sense of inevitability in the locker room in Dallas that Iverson will soon be a Sixer again.

"No doubt he's coming back," one source said.

Information from The Associated Press and ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein was used in this report.

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via www.alleniversonlive.com


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