The Philadelphia 76ers thought they were taking the next step when they signed Elton Brand in 2008. Yet Sixers fans like myself lived to regret it ever since, which made us relieved that his large salary finally came off the books this summer. Now Brand is going to a new team and is getting far less hoopla and money for it, although he is joining a former world champion – albeit a rebuilding one.
—The Dallas Mavericks claimed Elton Brand off amnesty waivers, the team announced.
DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks won the bidding Friday to obtain two-time All-Star forward Elton Brand off waivers, the latest in a series of moves to build their roster after a frustrating start in free agency.
Looking to solidify depth in the frontcourt, the Dallas Mavericks have acquired Elton Brand off of waivers from the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Houston Rockets‘ decision to use their amnesty clause on Luis Scola will prove to be either fool’s gold or a genius maneuver in an attempt to land the likes of Dwight Howard.
All that we know at this point is that it’s certainly risky.
Whatever good it winds up doing the Rockets, it will most certainly help out another team. The 32-year-old still has a smooth mid-range game and a solid frame to body up against other big men.
He may not be especially explosive or much of a high-impact defender, but that doesn’t mean he can’t help a team in need of a skilled veteran.
Ball Don’t Lie’s Kelly Dwyer includes the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs among the teams that would be good fits for Scola–as well he should. In fact, Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Dallas in particular will make a push for him:
The Mavericks will be aggressive bidders for Scola on the amnesty wire, league sources said. Dallas is serious about Elton Brand too.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 12, 2012
The Mavs need a little bit of everything at this point, and the Spurs have long been in search of an upgraded post presence.
Scola’s ability to pick-and-pop would likewise serve both clubs well given their penchants for running the play.
Of course, there are any number of playoff teams who could use those kind of services. The Chicago Bulls may prefer a cheaper alternative to Carlos Boozer, and Scola would would perhaps empower them to make use of their own amnesty and send Boozer packing.
Teams with cap space like the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Hornets might also be willing to pay the modest price for a guy like Scola.
He’s probably better suited for a team firmly entrenched in the playoff picture, but borderline clubs could view him as the kind of piece that gets them over the hump.
And, he very well might.
Though his production last season trailed the career-high 18.3 points he notched a year earlier, there’s little doubt this guy can still play. His soft touch is makes him adept as scoring in a variety of ways and doing so efficiently.
This year was the first of his five NBA seasons in which he shot the ball at a rate of under 50 percent–and it was 49 percent this time.
Not exactly a steep decline.
If you’re a team in the market for a power forward, the question isn’t really how the Scola of today compares to his best season. It’s how he compares to other available power forwards.
Put in that perspective the Argentinian fairs quite well, so well in fact that he’ll likely be picked up off of waivers before he even has a chance to hit the open market. A team with cap room or a full mid-level exception would be in the best position to make a bid that is both competitive and reasonable–no more than $5 million a season.
After all, Scola will still get the money originally owed to him by Houston. He doesn’t need a huge pay day.
If Dallas and San Antonio don’t make a run, don’t be surprised to see Scola go to a rebuilding team with ambitions of grandeur. If that’s not the Suns or Hornets, it could be the Toronto Raptors or Cleveland Cavaliers.
It’s hard to find many organizations without at least some interest in a big forward who can shoot the ball.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
The Los Angeles Lakers would love to nab Dwight Howard this offseason, but they aren’t going to let it destroy their title dreams in 2013 if they cannot accomplish that goal.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles, the Lakers have a “short list” of backup big men they would like to acquire to put behind incumbent center Andrew Bynum and PF Pau Gasol. Some of the players on that list have been household names and still could potentially contribute a significant amount to a championship contender.
McMenamin’s sources found that L.A. is targeting Antawn Jamison, Elton Brand and Jermaine O’Neal to go along with their attempt to re-sign Jordan Hill.
Hill, Jamison and O’Neal are free agents, while Brand has been amnestied by Philadelphia. The former 76er will have to clear waivers before he can join the Lakers.
All should have plenty of interested suitors as the talent pool—especially for big men—continues to dry up in the coming weeks. But not many will be able to offer playing time on a team that has a chance to win a ring.
Besides Gasol and Bynum (or possibly Howard), the Lakers have a dearth of big men, which means that whichever bigs they sign this summer will definitely see a lot of floor time.
They’d also be getting a chance to play with future a Hall of Fame PG Steve Nash, who has been credited with revitalizing plenty of careers and being one of the most fun teammates in the league.
While DH12 would be a solid addition to the Lakers, adding some of the aging but still productive veteran bigs via free agency to fortify the bench might turn out to be an even better call for L.A.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
It has become a full-time job trying to keep up with the nonstop rumors involving your favorite NBA players and teams.
With so many unidentified “sources” and “people close to the situation,” it has become rather difficult to keep up.
After going to the end of the internet waves and back, I’ve been able to uncover the very latest news and rumors on the following big men that are still looking for a new home.
On your marks…get set…AMNESTY!
Teams around the NBA have until July 17 to scrub one contract each from their respective salary caps using the one-time amnesty clause in the new collective bargaining agreement.
Not all teams, though. Seven used theirs last year to excise the likes of Gilbert Arenas, Chauncey Billups, Baron Davis and Brandon Roy.
And while middling teams with ample cap room will have the first crack at those who fall through the cracks this time around, don’t be surprised if some of those who are let go fall off the waiver and into range for a capped-out contender or two, just as Agent Zero and B-Diddy did in 2011.
That’s assuming, of course, that so many teams actually decide to “amnesthetize” players this summer. These seven players—all either rumored to be cut loose or having already been so—would be good fits for championship hopefuls out there.
Now amnestied by the Philadelphia 76ers, Elton Brand is basically up for auction this offseason. At 33 years of age, Brand came off a respectable season in Philadelphia, averaging 11 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He was an integral part of a team that was one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals
Brand may not be the 20-point, 10-rebound man he was for the Los Angeles Clippers from 2003-2007, but he can definitely be serviceable for any team in the NBA. Brand showed hustle, tenacity and determination last season under coach Doug Collins.
Who will make a move to sign the two-time All-Star this offseason? Here are the top five rumored destinations to land Elton Brand’s services.