By FRANK WARD
DailyPhiladelphian.com Editor

The big trade didn’t go down, no surprise to anyone really. However, Sixers GM Ed Stefanski did pull of a deal that is a minor blip on the radar now, but one that may pay dividends down the line.

The Sixers sent super benchwarmers Royal Ivey, Primoz Brzec and a second round pick to the Milwaukee Bucks for Francisco Elson and Jodie Weeks.

Ivey, Brzec and Elson are all free agents at the end of the year and don’t really matter at all. The real deal is a second round pick for Meeks, the 41st overall pick in last June’s draft.

The Sixers acquired former Kentucky sharpshooter Jodie Meeks on Thursday.

The Kentucky product is only averaging 4 points in 11 minutes a game this year. However, he had a penchant for putting the ball through the hoop during his three years at UK. We see Meeks possibly being an Aaron McKie type of player — the blue collar worker who can score if needed.

While he likely will not see much more action in Philly than he was getting with the Bucks this year, he has a chance to play his way into the rotation in future years.

The trade almost assures the fact that Allen Iverson will be done as a Sixer after this year, and that Willie Green could also be on his way out of town.

It’s not the deal we all wanted to see, but it does make basketball sense — something Stefanski said he’d do all along.