OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – New Orleans and Philadelphia have agreed to extend until Monday the deadline to complete a physical on center Steven Hunter, who was part of a trade from the 76ers to the Hornets earlier this week.

Hunter took a physical Friday after arriving in Oklahoma City. Hornets general manager Jeff Bower said the teams agreed to extend the deadline to complete the trade from noon Saturday until 5 p.m. EST Monday so the Hornets could further analyze results of the exam.

“The reason for that is we’re still waiting on all the information from his physical to be evaluated and looked at closely,” Bower said Saturday.

Bower disputed a report that Hunter had failed the physical.

“We haven’t made a decision on the physical. We haven’t failed him. The doctors haven’t failed him on his physical,” Bower said. “But we are looking at the results of his physical very closely.”

The 76ers traded Hunter, a 7-foot center, to the Hornets along with cash in exchange for second-round draft picks in 2006 and 2007. Hunter, a fifth-year NBA veteran, was averaging 4.9 points and 3.4 rebounds in 35 games with the 76ers this season.

Sixers assistant GM Tony DiLeo said “doctors are still talking, that’s the holdup.”

Hunter, 24, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in 2002 and missed 39 games while recovering from surgery.

Citing medical privacy, Bower wouldn’t say whether the knee or any other specific injury was the holdup in Hunter’s physical, which he said was the only thing preventing the trade’s completion.

“There were certain things that we had concerns about that we wanted to take a close look at, given the age of the player,” Bower said. “We’re looking at him over a long term. We want to make sure. We had some concerns or questions that we wanted answered, and that’s what we’re still searching for are the answers.”

Bower said Hunter was waiting in Oklahoma City for the final decision and will “most likely not” play in New Orleans’ game Monday at New Jersey. He won’t need any further examination by doctors, Bower said.

“He’s had all the hands-on examinations that he’s going to need,” Bower said. “The results are all there.”

Along with Aaron Williams – who the Hornets acquired from Toronto on Tuesday – Hunter would help New Orleans shore up a front line depleted when Chris Andersen was dismissed from the NBA on Jan. 27 for violating the league’s drug policy.

“He wants to be with this team,” New Orleans coach Byron Scott said. “Guys have already been out taking him to dinner and stuff like that. He’s been around the city. He wants to be here. He wants to be here very badly.

“We want this whole thing to work out as well. We’re just hoping that this thing will be resolved in the next day or so, so he can move on and we can move on. Hopefully, we’ll all be in this together.”

A first-round pick by Orlando in 2001, Hunter played three seasons with the Magic and one with Phoenix before signing with Philadelphia as a free agent.

“I feel for him being put on hold, to be quite honest, because he’s kind of in limbo right now,” Bower said. “He’s been great to deal with. He’s handled it all terrific.”

AP-ES-02-04-06 2048EST