"I told you about the dream I had before the season," the 76ers' center was saying during a weekend crammed with Allen Iverson-back-to-the- Sixers rumor and speculation. "I dreamed A.I. was coming back."

And then, late last week . . .

"I had the dream again," Dalembert said. "I woke up at 6:30 in the morning in my house, wondering if it could be true."

Could be. Or it could be just another pipe dream. The Sixers , knowing they will be without the injured Lou Williams for 2 months, have internally discussed the possibility of bringing back Iverson, the four-time NBA scoring champion and 2000-01 Most Valuable Player.

A source familiar with the Sixers' situation said chairman Ed Snider made it known Saturday night that he is willing to let the Basketball operations department make the decision. Snider, remember, couldn't wait to trade Iverson to Denver in December 2006.

At halftime of a loss to Washington on Dec. 8, 2006, Snider agreed it was time to trade Iverson, because "he wants to be traded." Snider also said Iverson had "probably" played his last game as a Sixer . Asked whether Iverson's time with the Sixers had passed, the chairman said, "Yes."

During that session with reporters, Snider was also asked whether the team had received many calls from other teams.

"About half the league," he said.

That time has passed, too. There had been some interest from New York, but that faded quickly. The Sixers , amazingly, could turn out to be Iverson's court of last resort.

Comcast-Spectacor president Peter Luukko said he and Sixers president/general manager Ed Stefanski have had "minimal discussions internally" about Iverson and "that's really it." Snider declined to comment.

Luukko said it would be "a Basketball decision" and that it would be left up to Stefanski. The Sixers , whose payroll is below the NBA's luxury-tax threshold of $69.92 million, could offer a prorated contract for $1.3 million-plus, the minimum for players with at least 10 seasons of experience, or even a little more. In the case of the 10 seasons-plus veterans minimum, a portion is paid out of a leaguewide pool and only a portion counts against the team's salary cap. Iverson has already cleared about $470,000 in the settlement of his contract with the Memphis Grizzlies.

A FOXSports.com report indicated that the situation could escalate early this week. Another source familiar with the Sixers' situation said Stefanski has been considering the pluses and minuses of adding Iverson, but that he has not reached out to Leon Rose, Iverson's agent, or to Gary Moore, Iverson's personal manager. The source said Rose, one of the most respected and successful agents representing NBA players, has contacted the Sixers , basically trying to find out whether his client would be a good fit.

The source said: "Every other time Rose has called, the Sixers have said no. In the light of Williams' injury and the need for an experienced guard, they are at least talking about it." Neither Rose nor Moore has responded to multiple messages left by the Daily News . John Thompson, Iverson's coach at Georgetown, also has not responded. Stefanski, through this process, has remained unavailable for comment.

The source said that while coach Eddie Jordan could be interested in a player of Iverson's stature and talent, there had not been a meeting scheduled between Jordan and Iverson. Jordan confirmed that last night. The Sixers , armed with a list of special conditions, eventually might be willing to have that meeting.

There is a belief that the Sixers will reach a reasonably quick decision. They do not want this situation to linger. They are already concerned that "Iverson back to the Sixers " is taking on a life of its own.

Stefanski and his personnel staff have been considering various other free agents, including Antonio Daniels, Gabe Pruitt, Brevin Knight and Tyronn Lue (currently working for Boston in a player-development position). It goes without saying that Iverson is the most talented of the group, but he also comes with the most baggage. Since leaving the Sixers , Iverson has played with Denver, Detroit and Memphis. The Nuggets improved dramatically when they acquired Chauncey Billups from the Pistons for Iverson. The Pistons finally sent Iverson home after he complained about coming off the bench, and the Grizzlies reached a settlement on Iverson's 1-year contract after he appeared in just three games this season.

Iverson has also had more than his share of run-ins with coaches, including Larry Brown, Randy Ayers, Chris Ford, Maurice Cheeks, Michael Curry and Lionel Hollins. Interestingly, Brown has been campaigning for Iverson to continue his career rather than follow through with a recent retirement announcement. Ayers is currently a Sixers assistant, and Ford is a Sixers pro personnel scout.

The major aspect of Stefanski's decision-making process has to do with the absence of Williams, who is recovering from a broken jaw suffered Tuesday night in a loss in Washington. The Sixers were excited with Williams' development and his ability to make plays, for himself and for others. Without him in Friday night's loss to Atlanta, they often appeared rudderless down the stretch. They believe rookie Jrue Holiday, given time, will become the player they projected when they made him the No. 17 pick in the June draft, but they don't believe he's immediately ready for prime time.

The question is, whether Iverson could help them in that regard or whether his presence would simply delay Holiday's progress and limit opportunities for Andre Iguodala and others. The source said any decision would not be based on whether Iverson would sell tickets - the Sixers are currently 29th (next-to-last) in attendance. There is a belief among management that Iverson would sell tickets for a short period, but that there would not be a substantial lasting effect.

The larger question is, whether adding Iverson would have any substantial positive effect on the team.

One man's dream . . .

Daily News sports writer Bob Cooney contributed to this report.

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