Washington ? Speculation during the offseason on whether the 76ers are going to trade Allen Iverson is as much a part of summer as water ice, the Jersey Shore and the Phillies fading in the National League East standings.

But the talk this summer has crossed from rumor and hype to reality. The Sixers almost pulled the trigger on a draft-night trade with Boston. Offers for the 31-year-old Iverson have been considered by president and general manager Billy King.

Addressing all the conjecture Friday during a news conference promoting this weekend’s Allen Iverson Celebrity Summer Classic, Iverson indicated a sense of not being wanted anymore in the city where he has played for all 10 of his NBA seasons, and suggested that leaving might be for the best.

“I want to be a Sixer and I’ve said that since day one,” Iverson said during an 11-minute session with reporters at the ESPN Zone. “But if I’m not wanted, I definitely don’t want to be a Sixer and I’m willing to start my career all over. But everybody knows that I want to be a Philadelphia 76er.”

Iverson said he has grown weary of being stopped on the street, whether in Philadelphia or “no matter where in the world,” and asked whether he will remain with the Sixers next season.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS GUARD ALLEN IVERSON pauses during a news conference before the start of the Allen Iverson Celebrity Summer Classic charity event. Iverson said Friday he wanted a quick decision by the 76ers regarding his future.

“I’m used to it, but I’m also tired of it,” he said. “Sometimes I even think that leaving might not be such a bad thing, because I might not have to deal with this every summer. My kids might not have to deal with this. My wife might not have to deal with this. So it might not be a bad thing. But I honestly want to be a Sixer.”

Then Iverson said he didn’t have a great relationship with all his teammates “and I’d be lying if I said I did.” He did not identify those who did not have a great relationship with him.

Iverson said the publicity he gets during the summer, even with no NBA basketball, is “because it’s something that people want to read about.” He said that all the trade talk doesn’t really bother him but that he feels for his wife and his children.

He said his oldest daughter, Tiaura, was glued to the television on the night of the NBA draft “hoping that nothing would happen so she wouldn’t have to leave her classmates.”

“The trade thing has everybody interested in what’s going to happen,” he said. “To me, it’s old. It’s getting old. It’s been old. But to my family, it stays fresh in their minds because they never know what’s going to happen.

“Honestly, I hope if something happens, it hurries up and happens. And if it’s not going to happen, I just wish I could get some type of indication that it’s not going to happen. I think it’ll make it better for the fans of Philadelphia, because they’ll know what’s going to happen. I really don’t think it’s fair to them.”

The Celtics, who almost got Iverson on draft night, remain a major player for his services. But indications are that they’ll need to involve a third or a fourth team to get the players the Sixers want in return. Denver, Atlanta and Golden State also have been mentioned in trade speculation.

Iverson said he would have no hard feelings if he were traded.

“I have some value,” he said. “We didn’t make the playoffs last year, and when something like that happens, you feel like you’ve got to do something. I don’t know why it has to be me, but I guess I have that type of value. But I understand it’s a business, and I’ve been with Billy for so many years, and he has to do his job.

“If my name comes up, then it comes up, but I’ve been heartbroken before with this situation, so it’s nothing new for me. It’s something that I just have to deal with.”

As to what the Sixers could do to improve, Iverson said, “I don’t think the answer is getting rid of me.

“Anybody that looks at any Philadelphia 76ers game can see what I bring to the table every night. But me leaving might be the answer. I have no idea. It depends on what you get for me, and the chemistry on the team once I’m gone. You won’t know until it happens. Hopefully, the best thing will happen for both parties.”