Brandon Apter (@bapter23), Managing Editor
Veteran leadership is something lacking for the Sixers and though they acquired Ish Smith, the team is still actively seeking ways to mentor their young players for long careers in the NBA. According to Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports, the Sixers could sign veteran forward Elton Brand today.
The Philadelphia 76ers plan to sign veteran forward Elton Brand today, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 4, 2016
Brand, 36, most recently played for the Hawks in 36 games last season. He averaged 2.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game. He hasn't played this season.
The Sixers signed Brand, at the time one of the best forwards in the league, to a five-year deal worth nearly $80 million after deciding to opt out of his contract with the Clippers in July of 2008. In four years with the team, he averaged 13.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, but didn't live up to his potential. The Sixers waived him in July of 2012.
Brand's role with the team is yet to be determined, but he is sure to have an impact on guys like Jahlil Okafor, Richaun Holmes and Nerlens Noel. Christian Wood will be released to make room for Brand on the roster, who will be the first 36-year-old to play on the team since Derrick Coleman in 2003.
Update (1:38pm): Just hours ago in a self-written column written for The Cauldron, a Sports Illustrated affiliate, Brand commented on his return to the game and how he can benefit his teammates. The full story can be found HERE but highlights are below…
I know what you’re thinking.
Dude, you’ve made over $167 million in your career.
You’re not a good player anymore. No one wanted to sign you.
What possible reason could you have for joining the Sixers, a team with a 3–33 record?!
The truth is, my decision to return to the NBA isn’t about money, and it isn’t about rings. It isn’t even about me, really, although every athlete would like to go out on his or her own terms. It’s about repaying what’s owed, about making sure that the young men who follow in my footsteps get what they’re entitled to (and what I haven’t always given them).
here in Philadelphia, my adopted hometown, I’m excited to have a chance to do things differently — be a positive influence and help the organization get back on track.
You might’ve noticed we’ve got a pretty talented kid on the roster in Jahlil Okafor, someone I happen to share some things in common with. Despite how he’s been portrayed, I know Jahlil. He’s a good kid with a good heart. He’s not unlike most 20-year-olds you probably know, and he’s definitely not at all different than most of his fellow players. Hell, if camera phones were around when Brad Miller, Ron Artest, and I were Jahlil’s age, we might’ve been banned from the league altogether, never mind suspended for a few games.
I’m not coming here to hold Jahlil’s hand — or anyone else’s, for that matter — because that’s not what he needs. But I do believe my experience and wisdom can benefit him and my other young teammates. It’s about communicating with them like men, starting to grow together, and — hopefully, eventually — winning some ballgames. That’s what Sam Hinkie and I talked about when he approached me about joining the team, and what has me so excited about this opportunity.
