Free agent center Andrew Declercq and the Orlando Magic are likely to call it quits after five seasons together.

The team has not offered him a contract and his agent believes Declercq, who is coming off of knee surgery, will be playing elsewhere next season.

"He won't be returning to Orlando, but there are various other options we're sorting through," said Joel Bell, DeClercq's agent on Monday. "He'll be in the league."

Otis Smith, Magic co-general manager, said Monday that the team has been monitoring DeClercq's rehab, but he would not say for certain that DeClercq's career with the Magic was over.

A possible option for Declercq is the Philadelphia Sixers who have been interested in Declercq now and in the past.

Now that the Philadelphia Sixers have re-signed their starting center Samuel Dalembert, they will now turn their attention to getting a backup for him.

"The Sixers have contacted 7-foot unrestricted free agent Steven Hunter, who appeared in 76 games with the Phoenix Suns last season, and 6-10 unrestricted free agent Andrew DeClerq, a 10-year veteran who spent the last 5 seasons with the Orlando Magic. DeClerq appeared in just eight games last season after undergoing knee surgery; he made 53 starts for the Magic in '03-04.

The Sixers have been interested in Declercq before when he was a free agent a few years back.

In other news, the Sixers are expected to sign Duke forward Shavlik Randolph and Fairfield star Deng Gai sometime after the NBA lifts it's moratorium on signings.

The Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a six-year contract late Saturday with restricted free agent center Samuel Dalembert, his agent Marc Cornstein told SI.com. Salary figures were not immediately available.

Dalembert had been scheduled to interview Monday with the Atlanta Hawks, who possessed enough cap space to make him a maximum offer.

With this agreement, the 76ers have made good on their promise to re-sign free agents Dalembert, Willie Green and Kyle Korver. They also now have one of the highest payrolls in the NBA.

The 76ers remain in limbo with restricted free-agent center Samuel Dalembert, but it isn't because of a lack of effort.

Sixers president and general manager Billy King was in New York on Wednesday night for NBA business and also met with Dalembert's agent, Marc Cornstein.

"Nothing new to report," King responded last night in an e-mail.

Asked if the sides would meet before Monday, when Dalembert is scheduled to visit the Atlanta Hawks, King replied: "Who knows?"

According to sources, the Sixers realize that they would have to go higher than the six-year, $36 million deal that Milwaukee center Dan Gadzuric agreed to on July 12.

Chris Crawford made it as far as Class A minor league Baseball with a 90-mph fastball, however, basketball has always been his sport.

"I haven't thrown in a while," the free-agent forward said, laughing, after working out yesterday for the 76ers.

Now Crawford is making his pitch to play for the Philadelphia 76?ers after fighting off injuries the last 4 years.  Specifically, he has had his knees surgically repaired after tearing both anterior cruciate ligaments, causing him to sit out last season.

"Not playing last year, people kind of forget about you," Crawford said. "It doesn't matter if I'm flying under the radar, or what; hopefully, I just want to get on a team that has a chance to win and make it back to the playoffs."

Kyle Korver and Willie Green are staying put with the Philadelphia Sixers according to ESPN Insider Chad Ford and other sources.

Korver's agent, Jeff Schwartz, said Korver's deal is for six years and another source said the deal is worth $25 million.

The terms of Green's deal are unknown.

Sixers President Billy King has no plans of letting restricted free agents Samuel Dalembert, Kyle Korver, and Willie Green get away in free agency.

"These guys will be 76ers, whether it's at our price or another team's price," the Sixers president and general manager said yesterday.

It looks like negotiations between the Philadelphia 76ers and restricted free agent Samuel Dalembert took a turn for the worse on Monday according to ESPN correspondant Chad Ford.

The two sides have been negotiating for three weeks but have been unable to come to terms on a new contract. Over the course of the last week, there has been a great level of frustration on both sides.

On Monday, Dalembert's agent, Marc Cornstein, said Dalembert had scheduled a visit in Atlanta with the Hawks on Monday, July 25.

But Sixers general manager Billy King said the Sixers are still determined to match any offer for Dalembert.

"Sam will be in Philly whether it is at our number or a number that someone else sets," King wrote in an email to ESPN. "HE WILL BE IN PHILADELPHIA ONE WAY OR ANOTHER."

When asked about King's stance, Cornstein acted surprised.

"We're getting mixed messages," Cornstein said. "They've drawn a line in the sand with Sammy's contract with what they're willing to pay. Yet he's telling you they'll match any offer. There is a huge gap between Philadelphia's offer and what other teams under the salary cap can offer."

The Hawks are roughly $23 million under the cap -- enough money to make a run at two top-tier free agents. The Hawks are believed to have earmarked roughly half that amount for free agent Joe Johnson. They want to add a center with the rest of it. Restricted free agent Eddy Curry visited the Hawks last week, but left Atlanta without a contract offer.

A rumor floating around the internet supposedly of NY Post origins state that the buzz in Summer League: Las Vegas among GMs was that one of the top free-agent centers, Samuel Dalembert, verbally agreed on a $70M to $75M deal to stick with Philly.

According to the new CBA, if this is true, Dalembert (who's been a backup for a big part of his career), but is still one of those "potential" players, could be averaging about $12 Million in Yearly Salary at 10.5% Increases.

In what could be the most pivotal off-season for the Philadelphia 76ers since the drafting of Allen Iverson, Billy King is faced with two great challenges. First, keeping the young core of Samuel Dalembert in a Sixers uniforms and second, improving a squad that could not get past the first round of the playoffs last season.

Of course, Dalembert is the number one priority of the three, and the future of this franchise rides on his return to Philadelphia. When given minutes by ex-coach Jim O?brien, Sammy proved he had what it took to be a force in the middle, and showed his ability to take over games. His combination of height, length, and leaping ability is a rarity in today?s NBA, and players with Dalembert?s natural abilities are few and far between.