With the draft in the rear view mirror, Sixers president Rod Thorn said on Friday that the next order of business was to negotiate with the team's free agents.
The team kicked off that plan shortly after the introductory press conferences for draftees Maurice Harkless and Arnett Moultrie when it extended a qualifying offer to restricted free agent, Lavoy Allen, according to a source.
Allen, drafted with the 50th overall pick last June, should receive a qualifying offer slightly less than 1 million. Allen could field offers from other teams, but the Sixers would have the right to match any offer. Though he didn't see too much playing time during the beginning of the season, Allen became a major part of coach Doug Collins' rotation by the time the playoffs rolled around. The Temple product averaged 4.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 15 minutes over 41 games during the regular season. In the playoffs, Allen averaged nearly 20 minutes per game with 6.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Meanwhile, Jodie Meeks is also a restricted free agent and must be tendered a qualifying offer from the team by Saturday.
Additionally, center Spencer Hawes and the team's leading scorer, Lou Williams, are unrestricted free agents and can begin to entertain offers from other teams beginning on July 1.
E-mail John R. Finger at jfinger@comcastsportsnet.com.