The NBA draft was the beginning, a way for the 76ers to address their need for an outside shooter.

But the real work begins Tuesday, when free agency starts, when 76ers president Billy King will put all of his energy into signing a big man who can make a big difference on a veteran team that reached the Eastern Conference semifinals last season.

And there will be plenty of big men available who could help the 76ers, specifically Miami's Alonzo Mourning, Denver's Juwan Howard, Indiana's Brad Miller and perhaps the Clippers' Michael Olowokandi or Elton Brand or New Orleans' P.J. Brown.

It's just a question of whether the 76ers can afford any of them.