"While you were sleeping, one million dollars was deposited into your bank account."

That's the only news I could have gotten this morning that would have made me happier than the news I received four minutes after I woke up. Thanks to an urgent email from my aunt, I was informed that Chris Webber is now a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.

One year ago, I wrote this about the Sixers:

The Sixers have been in a tailspin for the last few years, and it seems to be coming to a head. They have a franchise player in Allen Iverson, and yet still continue to surround him with mediocre players that are not getting the job done. Are we going to waste the talents of a guy like Iverson just like we did with Randall Cunningham? This week they made another poor decision as they fired head coach Randy Ayers. Things began to go poorly for this team the minute Pat Croce left. I'm not sure if it's poor decision making by the GM Billy King or a lack of commitment from the organization. But I will say this: If the team decides to trade Allen Iverson, I will no longer support the 76ers.

Last week, Allen Iverson was rumored to have met with Sixers management to express his frustration with the current direction of the club. In his ninth year in the league, Iverson is tired of giving 115% for a team that is perpetually rebuilding. He apparently asked Sixers' managment to either get him some help on the floor, or ship him out of town. Iverson denied asking to be traded...he claims he loves playing in Philly and though he would like help in the paint, he never issued an ultimatum. Most believe that to be true, but if he did ask for an out? No one would blame him.

For the last few years, the Sixers have spent money in all the wrong places, bringing in has-beens like Derrick Coleman and Glenn Robinson to take some of the pressure off Iverson. Yet, each trade only seemed to set back the Sixers' progression more and more. Night after night, Iverson threw his body around the court, trying to do it all while baby-sitting the first and second year players surrounding him.

For the fans, watching the Sixers for the last several seasons has been nerve-racking. We know the team is no real threat as far as the playoffs are concerned, but we watch with the fear that each loss brings us closer to the day when Allen Iverson can finally take no more and demands his walking papers. Watching Allen Iverson play basketball is a treat - there is no question. I've made it clear how I feel about the small guard who has morphed into a one-man-team. My biggest fear for a number of years has been that Iverson would be traded due to the front office's lack of leadership and refusal to spend money and that then, the following off-season, a big-money free agent would be brought to Philly - when it was too late.

This morning, my fears went out the window when I learned that the Sixers stole Chris Webber from the Sacramento Kings - without giving up Sammy Dalembert, Kyle Korver, or Andre Iguodala. This gives the Sixers another force in the paint, and a player to take some of the attention off Allen Iverson. Teams will be unable to double-team Iverson as they've done for the last 6 or 7 years, giving him much more freedom on the court - and the ability to conserve more energy than in the past. Imagine it for a second: Allen Iverson, with only one guy guarding him, charging to the basket and throwing no-look passes to Chris Webber in the paint or Kyle Korver on the perimeter. I've got chills just thinking about it.

But, Chris Webber is old! He's injury-prone! He disappears in the playoffs!

Yes, I've heard it all. But this trade - this absolute pilfering - is a sign that the Sixers are moving in the right direction. And if nothing else, Iverson is a happier man today than he was yesterday, which means that we should be able to watch him play for years to come.

For Sixers fans, this is great news.