Royal Ivey

After weeks of speculation that the 76ers might trade one or more of their core players, yesterday they executed a trade that was essentially a swap of bench players. In a trade executed just a few hours before the NBA's 3 p.m. trading deadline, Sixers president and general manager Ed Stefanski traded seldom-used guard Royal Ivey, almost never-used center Primoz Brezec, and a 2010 second-round draft pick to the Milwaukee Bucks for two rarely used players: rookie guard Jodie Meeks and center Francisco Elson.

On Saturday, Royal Ivey posted a Twitter message that said, "Going back to Philly!" Barring an unexpected fallout, this will be the case. Ivey, who served as a backup guard last season for the 76ers and is a free agent, is finalizing a contract that would secure his return to the Sixers, according to multiple sources. Ivey had said the Twitter message was meant to inform his Twitter followers that he was physically traveling back to Philadelphia, but the message was interpreted by some fans as an announcement of an accepted contract with the Sixers.

The 76ers say they will honor their former home, the Wachovia Spectrum, by playing a regular-season game at the memory-filled arena. The NBA released its 2008-09 schedule yesterday, and the Sixers announced that they would play one of their games - against the Chicago Bulls on March 13 - at the Spectrum, which is earmarked for demolition. "We?re thrilled to bring the Sixers back home to play one more time in the Spectrum," said Ed Snider, the chairman of Comcast-Spectacor, which owns the Sixers.

When Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers was the coach in Orlando, the Magic and the Detroit Pistons completed a sign-and-trade deal that sent Grant Hill to the Magic for Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins in August 2000. The Magic planned on pairing Hill, a star, with the emerging Tracy McGrady. But a severe ankle injury that ultimately required surgery limited Hill to just 47 games in his first three seasons in Orlando. Rivers was fired 11 games into the 2002-03 season. On Tuesday before the Celtics played the 76ers, Rivers recalled Hill's struggles as being similar to those the Sixers are going through with injured center Andrew Bynum.

The recent talk surrounding the 76ers has involved the futures of guards Andre Iguodala and Louis Williams, who are restricted free agents. Yesterday that talk was put on hold - for at least a day - as the Sixers reached an agreement with free-agent guard Royal Ivey. The 6-foot-4 player from the University of Texas was Atlanta's second-round pick, the 37th overall, in 2004. He played three seasons with the Hawks before playing last season - his most productive - with the Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 5.6 points, 2.1 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 19.2 minutes.

The 76ers' most effective player, point guard Jrue Holiday, has a sprained left foot and will be a game-time decision for Friday's matchup against the Pacers in Indiana. Holiday wore a boot on his left foot Thursday when he left the Sixers' practice facility. Holiday played 40 minutes and 16 seconds in Wednesday's 96-89 loss to the visiting Chicago Bulls. He scored 26 points. According to a team official, Holiday said he did not feel any pain after the game but woke up in pain Thursday.

With all the additions on a 76ers team that will enter the season with heightened expectations, a player who has caught the eye of the veterans is free-agent rookie point guard Maalik Wayns. Electing to bypass his senior season at Villanova, the Roman Catholic High School product was not selected in the NBA draft. But he made a favorable impression playing for the Orlando Magic summer-league team, averaging 11.7 points before signing with the Sixers. "At first I thought it was just a training-camp invite, but I then signed two years with a partial guarantee," Wayns, 21, said during media day on Monday.

MILWAUKEE - The 76ers fall behind teams so often that if one didn't know better, it might seem like a strategy. They did so again against Milwaukee on Tuesday night, and predictably, they lost again, falling to the suddenly resurgent Bucks, 110-102, at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Sixers lost for the 16th time in 21 games. They trailed 55-47 at halftime, marking the eighth time in nine games that they were behind at the break. The game was billed as a matchup between prospective all-star reserve Jrue Holiday of the Sixers and the Bucks' Brandon Jennings.

Minnesota guard Randy Foye probably would have had a bigger group of well-wishers at last night's game with the 76ers if his alma mater had not been away on business. Foye led Villanova to the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16 in 2005 and the Elite Eight in 2006. The Wildcats are in Boston for tonight's East Regional semifinal against Duke. "I'm really happy for them," said Foye, who watched the second half of the Wildcats' second-round blowout of UCLA on Saturday. "It's just fun to watch them because they have grown from boys to men. I'm hoping and praying that they keep playing well, and playing together.

MIAMI - The 76ers, in search of an effective rotation all season, went with Charles Jenkins beside Jrue Holiday in the starting lineup on Friday. It marked Jenkins' first start since the Sixers acquired the 6-foot-3 guard from Golden State last month, along with cash considerations, in exchange for a protected, future second-round pick. Jenkins, who had appeared in just two games before Friday, said that it is his job to be ready when coach Doug Collins called on him, even if he happened to be getting the call against the defending champions.