Sixers’ GM Ed Stefanski said at the end of last season that a power forward who could provide a low-post presence was at the top of his wish list during free agent season, which began July 1.

Then he went hard after Josh Smith, the 22-year old, athletic forward from Atlanta who brings a number of good things to the table, but not a low-post presence. He is also a restricted free agent, and as such a risky proposition.

Not so Elton Brand, the 29-year old from Los Angeles. A proven low-post player, albeit one coming off surgery on his Achilles tendon a year ago, Brand seemed the ideal candidate to pursue when he opted out of his contract on June 30.

A couple of things quickly happened, however. With money to spare after losing Baron Davis, Golden State entered the Brand sweepstakes with a five-year offer believed to be around $90 million, a little rich for the Sixers who had just over $11 million to offer in the first year.

Now, the Sixers are reportedly on the cusp of trading Rodney Carney and Calvin Booth, as well as a future first-round pick, for more cap space. No deal can be announced until Wednesday.

Should they use that money to make a run at Brand, or to make an overwhelming offer to Smith and hope that Atlanta won’t match?

While I like the fact that Brand’s been a solid 20-10 guy for nine years, Smith’s upside is huge. He’s demonstrated no inside game, but there are some who say he’s not been asked to in Atlanta’s current system and is still young enough to add that to his repertoire.

Barring a deal for one of them, the Sixers are also reportedly interested in New Jersey’s Nenad Krstic. Krstic is serviceable, and should come much cheaper, but he’s had injury problems the last two seasons, most notably a torn anterior cruciate ligament that cost him most of the 2006-2007 season and he played just 45 games last year.