Mark Bartelstein, the agent for Sixers unrestricted free agent forward Alan Henderson, said the lines of communication remained open between the parties. "We're still talking, but there is nothing further to report," Bartelstein said.

A veteran of 12 NBA seasons, Henderson appeared in 38 games during two stints last season for the Sixers. He is valued as an outstanding presence in the locker room and a mentor for the many young players.

Samuel Dalembert still hasn't received confirmation on whether he will be eligible to compete this summer for the Canadian national team, although the 76ers center is expected to represent Canada.

"We've heard nothing yet. However, we are very optimistic," Leo Rautins, the former Sixer and current Canadian national team coach, said in an e-mail.

Dalembert's agent, Marc Cornstein, had a similar reaction. "I have been given every indication he'll play for the Canadian national team," Cornstein said by phone.

Coach Maurice Cheeks sees rising 76ers star Andre Iguodala "going up the ladder." The latest rung involves landing a berth among eight to 10 young NBA players invited to practice and scrimmage with the U.S. national team before next month's Olympic qualifying tournament in Las Vegas.

Cheeks, in California, became aware of that development yesterday.

Jerry Colangelo, managing director of the national team, confirmed Iguodala's acceptance Wednesday. According to published reports, others who were tendered invitations include Al Jefferson, Boston; Devin Harris, Dallas; Monta Ellis, Golden State; and David Lee, New York. Portland's Brandon Roy might not be able to participate because of a scheduling conflict.

Andre Iguodala has caught the attention of USA Basketball.

The 76ers star forward/guard accepted an invitation to practice and scrimmage with the U.S. national team as it prepares for the FIBA Americas Championships, the Olympic qualifying tournament scheduled from Aug. 22 to Sept. 2 in Las Vegas.

Iguodala, who led the Sixers with a scoring average of 18.2 points in 76 games, is in a group of eight to 10 young players who will join the national team for its pretournament camp Aug. 15 to 21 in Las Vegas.

That group includes Al Jefferson, of the Boston Celtics, and Brandon Roy, of the Portland Trail Blazers. Former Villanova star Randy Foye, now with the Minnesota Timberwolves, has been on a list of potential invitees, but reportedly has had some problems with tendinitis after playing for the Wolves' summer-league team.

"The idea is to put players in the pipeline as it relates to USA Basketball, looking ahead to the [2012] Olympics," Colangelo said. "People feel that Andre is a very talented young player who has an awful lot of upside, and that he blossomed."

A 76ers game that former NBA referee Tim Donaghy worked in January fits the profile of what investigators might be looking for, sport-betting experts told the New York Times.

On Jan. 15, the Sixers were originally favored over visiting Toronto by one point. Heavy betting on the Raptors eventually made Toronto a one-point favorite, and the Raptors won, 104-86.

Donaghy, a 13-year NBA ref who resigned 2 weeks ago, is under federal investigation for possibly betting on games and associating with organized crime.

Donaghy refereed in 11 games after Jan. 1 this year in which the consensus Las Vegas line moved two points or more, according to a Las Vegas company whose owner has been contacted by people involved with the invesigation. The team on which bettors wagered heavily enough to move the line that far won seven of those 11 games.

There was no on-the-record confirmation, but it appears that Sixers center Samuel Dalembert is on the verge of being granted eligibility to play for Canada in the pre-Olympic qualifying tournament next month in Las Vegas.

Former Sixer Leo Rautins is the Canadians' coach.

The 76ers lost out on their top off-season priority Friday night, with free-agent forward Joe Smith agreeing to a two-year, $10 million deal with the Chicago Bulls, according to David Aldridge of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Sixers had been pleasantly surprised with the 31-year-old Smith, the former first pick overall in the 1995 draft, who was a piece in the Allen Iverson trade with the Denver Nuggets last winter.

Smith played in 54 games with the Sixers, averaging 9.2 points and 6.7 rebounds in 25 minutes a game. But he quickly became a solid presence in the locker room and a teacher to some of the team's younger players, and president and general manager Billy King wanted very badly to re-sign him.

"Philly really couldn't come up with the same package," said Dan Fegan, Smith's agent. "We tried. I really like both of those groups. We wouldn't have sent him to another team if the dollars were the same."

The Sixers' best offer was a three-year deal for $10 million.

The Bulls had been interested in Smith from the beginning of the free-agent process, looking for a veteran big man to come off the bench. Chicago also re-signed its own restricted free agent, Andres Nocioni, to a $38 million deal earlier in the week.

Also, free-agent center Mikki Moore accepted a three-year deal with the Sacramento Kings. Moore was one of the more coveted big men available, but the 76ers were more interested in either re-signing Smith or signing center Darko Milicic, who agreed to a three-year deal with Memphis for $21 million.

A source indicated that Milicic may have come to the Sixers on a two-year agreement if he had not gotten the three-year deal in Memphis.

League sources confirmed the Bulls reached agreement on a two-year contract with Joe Smith late Friday, the veteran forward who had been their No. 1 target in free agency, the Chicago Tribune is reporting.

Financial terms weren't available, but the Bulls had the midlevel salary-cap exception of $5.36 million at their disposal.

As recently as Thursday, general manager John Paxson had expressed pessimism the Bulls would land any of the veteran big men they had been targeting. Those included the Nets' Mikki Moore and the Lakers' Chris Mihm.

Smith is slotted to take the place of P.J. Brown to start alongside Ben Wallace and Luol Deng in a frontcourt that suddenly is loaded with reserves Andres Nocioni, Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah.

Smith averaged 8.5 points and 6.2 rebounds in 65 games with the Nuggets and 76ers last season. 76ers general manager Billy King had called re-signing Smith an off-season priority.

But the Bulls wooed Smith with a possible starting role and a serious approach that stressed the opportunity to play a prominent role in a winnable Eastern Conference next season. A face-to-face meeting at the Berto Center with Paxson and coach Scott Skiles that took place earlier this month was said to have made a strong impression.

Nobody seems to want to set the market for the big men the Bulls are in the hunt for - Joe Smith, Chris Mihm and Mikki Moore - a holding pattern that has a limit.

As badly as the Bulls want to add a veteran big man, general manager John Paxson refuses to flirt with luxury-tax territory down the road to do so. With extensions possibly coming up this summer or next for Luol Deng and Ben Gordon, the financial parameters he has discussed with agents for Smith, Moore and Mihm reflect that.

"We're not going to use the exceptions just to use them," Paxson said.

The Bulls' search for a veteran big man remains limited to Joe Smith, Mikki Moore and Chris Mihm, the Chicago Tribune is reporting.

Smith, who also is being courted by the 76ers, Rockets and possibly the Celtics, is the No. 1 target.

"We're still in dialogue with all of them," general manager John Paxson said. "Their agents are doing their jobs, assessing the market and the value for their clients. I think I understand the parameters of what they're looking for. We have parameters of our own.

"We're trying to keep in mind that we have Luol [Deng] and Ben [Gordon] as potential [contract] extensions this summer. If that doesn't happen, they're restricted [free agents next summer]. So I have to keep that long-term picture in mind. There are things I know I can and can't do. That's what I'm trying to operate under."

In other words, don't expect the Bulls to be offering anybody the full midlevel exception. And don't expect the Bulls to be offering long-term deals. The maximum they would go likely would be three years.

With P.J. Brown almost certain to sign elsewhere if he doesn't retire, adding a veteran big man also could ease the transition of first-round pick Joakim Noah.