Elton Brand to 76ers

[KYSportsWriter]

Per Yahoo.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=ArSEj.zsVJVP9vzDN3.ZCA85nYcB?slug=aw-brandsixers070708&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

 

[Overrated]

To go along with this - no link - I believe the 76ers traded Carney, someone else and a 1st-rounder to Minnesota for a 2nd round pick to help clear enough cap room.

 

[RossLT]

Good get for the Sixers, Brand is solid as hell

 

[bostonbred]

good addition if healthy.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

To go along with this - no link - I believe the 76ers traded Carney, someone else and a 1st-rounder to Minnesota for a 2nd round pick to help clear enough cap room.

The Yahoo story doesn't mention who was traded. Just says Philly dumped two guys on Minnesota.

 

[bostonbred]

To go along with this - no link - I believe the 76ers traded Carney, someone else and a 1st-rounder to Minnesota for a 2nd round pick to help clear enough cap room.

The Yahoo story doesn't mention who was traded. Just says Philly dumped two guys on Minnesota.

I heard it was Carney and Calvin Booth.

 

[write then drink]

first reported by Howard Eskin of Philadelphia sports talk radio station WIP

 

[Boobie Miles]

I've been away for a while, but had to come back for this one. First, has Minnesota just made its mission to accommodate other teams as they try to improve? As for Brand, his move has a huge ripple effect: first, it's pretty slimy in my book. He says all along he intends to come back to LA, says he opted out so they'd have money to sign another player, supposedly he singles out Davis as a guy he'd like to get, and then when they go out and get Davis, he bolts? WTF? What does Davis have to be thinking? Conceivably, and not that he would, but he could decide not to sign right? Wasn't his deal just verbal?
Second, this makes the Sixers pretty dangerous. They were coming on at the end of last year. Adding a veteran 20-10 guy should be a huge boost.
And finally, Maggette will be leaving LA for Golden State. I have no problem with the guy going to the highest bidder, and I don't really see where he would have fit with the Celtics, but he was talking last week about wanting to win, sacrificing some dough, etc. and then goes to a Golden State team that appears far from contending. San Antonio had interest and have a glaring need for a younger wing -- why not go there??

 

[Beaker]

Yeah, Boobie, that suprised me as well. I figured when the Clippers signed Davis, Brand would definitely stay.

 

[a_rosenthal]

I've been away for a while, but had to come back for this one. First, has Minnesota just made its mission to accommodate other teams as they try to improve? As for Brand, his move has a huge ripple effect: first, it's pretty slimy in my book. He says all along he intends to come back to LA, says he opted out so they'd have money to sign another player, supposedly he singles out Davis as a guy he'd like to get, and then when they go out and get Davis, he bolts? WTF? What does Davis have to be thinking? Conceivably, and not that he would, but he could decide not to sign right? Wasn't his deal just verbal?
Second, this makes the Sixers pretty dangerous. They were coming on at the end of last year. Adding a veteran 20-10 guy should be a huge boost.
And finally, Maggette will be leaving LA for Golden State. I have no problem with the guy going to the highest bidder, and I don't really see where he would have fit with the Celtics, but he was talking last week about wanting to win, sacrificing some dough, etc. and then goes to a Golden State team that appears far from contending. San Antonio had interest and have a glaring need for a younger wing -- why not go there??

First off, we don't know what the deal is with Brand/Davis/Clippers. For all we know, Brand had nothing to do with it.

But, yes, Davis could choose not to sign with LA. He can't sign until midnight.

Maggette will thrive in GS. I doubt they'll win a ton of games, but assuming Ellis makes another leap forward, they're going to be in OK shape to compete for a playoff spot. OK.... So maybe not compete. But they'll win 35 games in the West. And Maggette will score a ton of points.

 

[Boobie Miles]

I've been away for a while, but had to come back for this one. First, has Minnesota just made its mission to accommodate other teams as they try to improve? As for Brand, his move has a huge ripple effect: first, it's pretty slimy in my book. He says all along he intends to come back to LA, says he opted out so they'd have money to sign another player, supposedly he singles out Davis as a guy he'd like to get, and then when they go out and get Davis, he bolts? WTF? What does Davis have to be thinking? Conceivably, and not that he would, but he could decide not to sign right? Wasn't his deal just verbal?
Second, this makes the Sixers pretty dangerous. They were coming on at the end of last year. Adding a veteran 20-10 guy should be a huge boost.
And finally, Maggette will be leaving LA for Golden State. I have no problem with the guy going to the highest bidder, and I don't really see where he would have fit with the Celtics, but he was talking last week about wanting to win, sacrificing some dough, etc. and then goes to a Golden State team that appears far from contending. San Antonio had interest and have a glaring need for a younger wing -- why not go there??

First off, we don't know what the deal is with Brand/Davis/Clippers. For all we know, Brand had nothing to do with it.

But, yes, Davis could choose not to sign with LA. He can't sign until midnight.

Maggette will thrive in GS. I doubt they'll win a ton of games, but assuming Ellis makes another leap forward, they're going to be in OK shape to compete for a playoff spot. OK.... So maybe not compete. But they'll win 35 games in the West. And Maggette will score a ton of points.

So Maggette has signed on to be this generation's Shareef Abdur-Rahim? Hey I know you gotta get paid, but if the money isn't largely different, I just don't see how you choose GS over SA.

As for the Brand situation, this is from Marc Stein's article on espn.com right now, and the parts I've highlighted have been consistent with what has been reported since Brand opted out.

NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com on Tuesday that Brand has informed the Sixers that he will accept a five-year deal worth an estimated $82 million and spurn what was presumed to be a slam-dunk return to the Los Angeles Clippers to hook up with Clipper-to-be Baron Davis.

If Brand indeed goes through with his apparent intent to join the Sixers, such an outcome is bound to be widely branded as a shocker after he and agent David Falk announced last week that Brand was opting out of the final year of his previous contract (worth $16.4 million) to give the Clippers more payroll flexibility to strengthen the team around Brand. Within 24 hours, L.A. responded on the first day of free agency by reaching a verbal agreement with Davis in what easily ranks as the biggest free-agent coup in Clippers history.

Brand told ESPN.com on June 30 that his "intention is to stay" with the Clippers, while Falk spoke optimistically of Brand signing a deal to "finish his career with the Clippers" if the team could make another significant personnel acquisition or two. ESPN.com reported late last week that Davis was the player Brand specifically asked Clippers management to chase in June.

I have no dog in this fight. From what I know of Brand, I like him. I'm just pretty shocked that he'd do this, if all of what was reported was accurate. And I know if I was Davis I wouldn't be thrilled to join a Clippers team with...what exactly? No Maggette, no Brand. Yikes.

 

[Norman Stansfield]

I'd have signed Josh Smith instead.

Better defender and shot-blocker, younger and less of an injury history.

That said, the Brand signing is a solid one.

 

[Boobie Miles]

Thing about Smith is he seems similar to AI, and even to Thaddeus Young, though I'm basing that second one based simply on what I've heard and the fact that Philly seems to be high on him. Anyways, in Smith they'd be getting another super athlete to fill the wing on the break. It's nice but not a need. Now with Brand you're adding a legit scoring threat in the half-court. And despite last season's injury he only missed six games in the three previous seasons and is only 29. He's a lot more proven and consistent than Smith. I think it's a GREAT signing for the 76ers. All of my questions surround the way Brand handled the last few weeks, the fact that Davis is left high and dry, as are the Clips who were actually willing to spend and get rewarded like this, the fact that Maggette bolted to a losing situation just to cash in and the fact that Minnesota accommodated Philadelphia in this deal with no discernible gain for itself.

 

[qtlaw]

As a Warrior fan, I definitely wanted Brand coming up north but realized it was just a dream as soon as he refused to even give an inkling that he would consider it. It appears to have been a nice play by the Warriors to screw up Baron's master plans and the Clippers.

As for Brand's conduct, what's wrong? More people need to look at things in the long run, he had this power from the time he signed the original contract and the Clippers knew it. He opted out, a right granted under his contract. His stated intention to resign was merely gratuitous and did not deceive the Clippers because they gave up nothing for his promise. He gets to move closer to his family and who would not want that? Plus, what has been reported is that the Clippers could have offered a longer contract or just told Baron to take less but never did either.

As for Maggette to the Warriors, I guess he'll help but I'd hate to eat up cap room for Maggette if it means we lose out down the road on a bigger star. Maggette is the master of scoring 20 while only making 4 shots (12 fts.)

Amazing that the market is so thin now that teams cannot wait to give $80M+ to a player coming back from a ruptured achilles.

 

[Xodus]

I think this moves the Sixers up to top 3-4 in the east. They won 40 games without Brand. He'll add another 10 or so.

 

[Boobie Miles]

Another domino, I like the Pietrus signing by Orlando. I never really understood why he didn't play more in GS. If given the opportunity he seems like he could be a solid role player.

My problem, and this only based on what is being reported, is that it appears that Brand led the Clips to believe that by signing Davis he'd stay and that he led Davis to believe that he'd return if Davis signed. Why even bother with any of that if you're just looking for the best situation, which obviously is impossible to have a problem with.

 

[Stone Cane]

I'd have signed Josh Smith instead.

the sixers would have loved to get smith, but they would have had to sign him to an offer sheet, then waited seven days. in the interim, brand could have signed elsewhere, so if they took that route, they faced the possibility they would have gotten neither. they felt they couldn't take that risk, so they made Brand their first priority

 

[TigerVols]

Lost in all of this -- The Clippers will always be the Clippers.

 

[Rumpleforeskin]

PG - Andre Miller
SG - Andre Igoudala
SF - Thaddeus Young
PF - Elton Brand
C - Samuel Dalembert

Not a bad starting five. Young should excel next year and AI2 is only getting better. The only question is will they trade Miller.

 

[a_rosenthal]

PG - Andre Miller
SG - Andre Igoudala
SF - Thaddeus Young
PF - Elton Brand
C - Samuel Dalembert

Not a bad starting five. Young should excel next year and AI2 is only getting better. The only question is will they trade Miller.

That's a decent start, but they lack any 3-point shooting. Not 100 percent sure what their bench looks like, but they could really use a sharpshooter.