Elton Brand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Free Agent Rumors: Meeks, Sessions, Gee, Cavs

July 6th, 2012 at 10:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The Rockets are now in play for free agent guard Ramon Sessions, a source tells Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com. The 26-year-old is said to be seeking a starting job and the security of a multiyear deal, something that the Mavericks seem prepared to offer. We ran down the day’s free agent rumors earlier today, here’s the latest batch..

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Rivers, Raptors, Knicks

June 8th, 2012 at 9:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

Tomorrow night, the Celtics will either advance to the NBA Finals or face a summer of uncertainty, with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen as unrestricted free agents. Win or lose, this "big three" will go down as a success for Celtics executive Danny Ainge, writes Paul Flannery of WEEI.com. If the Celtics win tomorrow and advance to face the Thunder, it will set up an interesting referendum on Ainge's trade that sent Kendrick Perkins to Oklahoma City. There's plenty of other news swirling around the Atlantic as the draft and free agency near, including a promise for the son of the Celtics coach.

Sixers Rumors: Draft Targets, Brand, Williams

June 8th, 2012 at 10:38am CST by Luke Adams

It figures to be an eventful summer for the 76ers, who hold three picks in the draft, should receive plenty of inquiries on Andre Iguodala, and could use the amnesty clause to clear Elton Brand's $18MM+ salary from their books. I previewed the Sixers' offseason last week, but as the draft and free agency approach, we'll gain a better understanding of their plans. In the meantime, let's check in on the latest items out of Philadelphia….

Notable Outstanding Option Decisions

June 5th, 2012 at 9:46am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers officially exercised their option on Andrew Bynum yesterday, locking him up for the final year of his contract. Bynum's isn't the first option decision of the year — Beno Udrih has picked up his 2012/13 player option, while Dwight Howard famously waived his early termination option earlier in the season. Over the next few weeks, we'll hear about even more team, player, and early termination options, as teams prepare for the July free agency period. Listed below are a few key decisions to watch in the coming weeks….

Deron Williams, Nets ($17.78MM player option): Okay, so there's no real drama here. But when Williams declines his player option, the biggest free agent of the 2012 market will be set to officially hit the open market.
Lou Williams, 76ers ($5.35MM ETO): Williams is expected to exercise his early termination option, making him an unrestricted free agent. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reported last week that the Sixers guard may seek a deal similar to the five-year, $43MM contract Thaddeus Young signed a year ago. Will Philadelphia be willing to make that sort of offer, or will Williams sign elsewhere?
Gerald Wallace, Nets ($9.5MM player option): Wallace turns 30 in July, so this summer may represent his best chance to sign one more big-money, long-term deal. Even if he doesn't match $9.5MM annually on a new deal, I expect him to take advantage of that opportunity and turn down this option in search of a multiyear contract.
Brandon Bass, Celtics ($4.25MM player option): A solid contributor to the Celtics this season, Bass would certainly draw interest if he decides to opt out and test the open market. He has said he'd like to remain in Boston long-term, but opting out to renegotiate a new deal with the C's could complicate the team's offseason plans.
Elton Brand, 76ers ($18.16MM ETO): For the 33-year-old Brand, waiving his ETO seems like a lock. The real question is what will happen after he picks up the final year of his contract — the Sixers still have the amnesty clause at their disposal, and the opportunity to clear $18MM+ off their cap figure in a single stroke may be too tempting to pass up.
Ramon Sessions, Lakers ($4.55MM player option): Before the postseason, it seemed like a sure thing that Sessions would opt out and negotiate a new contract with the Lakers. But following a poor playoff performance, Sessions' future is less clear. If he declines his option in search of a new deal, I don't think there's any guarantee he re-signs with the Lakers. It's still probably the likeliest scenario, but given the number of point guards available this summer, L.A. figures to explore all their options.
J.R. Smith, Knicks ($2.44MM player option): If Smith turns down his player option, he almost certainly won't be a Knick next year, so his decision will come down to how much he enjoys playing in New York. Because there's little doubt that he could find a more lucrative contract as a free agent.
Mo Williams, Clippers ($8.5MM player option): Long-term security seems important to Williams, but it's hard to imagine him turning down an $8.5MM guarantee for next season, since he's unlikely to find that in free agency. His decision will affect how much flexibility the Clips have to pursue other free agents this summer.
Jameer Nelson, Magic ($8.6MM player option): Like the Clippers' Williams, he'll likely only opt out if he can renegotiate a new deal with his current club. However, I think that's a more probable option in Nelson's case. He has talked about not wanting to always be on the trade block, so I think he'd be willing to take a pay cut for next season if it meant being locked up for the next two or three.
Jamal Crawford, Trail Blazers ($5.23MM player option): Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports has reported that Crawford will decline his option, which makes sense. A team like the Clippers or Timberwolves that has been missing a viable two guard will likely make Crawford an attractive multiyear offer.
Kelenna Azubuike, Mavericks ($993K team option): The money may not be significant, but with the Mavs trying to clear room to make a run at Deron Williams and other free agents, every million counts. Dallas signed Azubuike with an eye toward 2012/13, so it would be a little surprising if the team turned down its option, but it could be necessary if cap space gets tight.

Our complete list of outstanding team, player, and early termination options can be found here.

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Sixers Rumors: Williams, Brand, Iguodala, Meeks

May 29th, 2012 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

Plenty of 76ers-related news, rumors and speculation has surfaced since the team lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Saturday night in Boston. I wrote about the team's offseason outlook yesterday, and today Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld shares a few more Sixers updates. Here are the highights:

Lou Williams is expected to opt out of his contract and seek a new deal similar to the five-year, $43MM Thaddeus Young signed with Philadelphia in December, according to Kyler.
Kyler hears that Elton Brand would be open to exercising his early termination option and eliminating the final year of his contract. However, the Sixers would have to be willing to sign him to a new multiyear deal. I have a hard time seeing this one happening. Brand would have to receive a pretty hefty commitment in a new contract to make up for the $18MM+ he'd be giving up, and that would hinder Philadelphia's future cap flexibility. It makes more sense for the Sixers to simply amnesty him and eliminate the bad contract, rather than inking an expensive new deal.
Andre Iguodala is expected to be available in trade talks this summer, though only if a suitor wants to make a "significant offer."
Jodie Meeks and Lavoy Allen will be free agents, and while Kyler writes that the 76ers can extend both players $1MM qualifying offers to make them restricted FAs, that's not quite accurate. The new CBA means a qualifying offer for Meeks, who met the "starter criteria" over the past couple seasons, would actually be worth about $2.7MM. I'll have more on this topic later today.

Williams, Brand Hope To Remain With Sixers

May 28th, 2012 at 9:28am CST by Luke Adams

Although one player has more agency than the other when it comes to deciding his future, both Lou Williams and Elton Brand would like to remain with the 76ers next season, according to an Associated Press report.

Williams, 25, has an early termination option worth $5.35MM for 2012/13. Even if he opts out of his deal, as he's expected to, he could negotiate a new deal and return to Philadelphia, and his comments suggest that will likely be something he explores.

"If I was a betting man, I think I would be back," Williams said. "Obviously, it comes down to a deal, but I don’t think that will be the hard part. This is home for me. I feel wanted here. I hope the feeling is mutual."

Brand, meanwhile, won't necessarily have the same decision-making freedom. Like Williams, he has an ETO for 2012/13, but his salary for next season will be about $18.16MM, making it a no-brainer to opt in. That doesn't mean he'll be back in Philadelphia though, as his exorbitant salary would make the veteran forward a likely amnesty candidate. Brand understands that the team could decide he isn't part of its future, but he hopes to play at least one more year with the Sixers.

"I want to be here, absolutely," Brand said, adding that if it's over, "I definitely loved my time here."

If Williams and Brand both waive their early termination options and opt into the final year of their respective deals, the Sixers would have nearly $56MM in salary committed to seven players. However, as we heard this weekend, major changes could be made to the team's roster in the coming weeks.

Sixers May Face Major Changes In Offseason

May 27th, 2012 at 11:31am CST by Daniel Seco

Still fresh off Saturday night's series-ending loss to the Celtics, the Sixers are already looking ahead to next year as their offseason got underway on Sunday. While the team may have exceeded expectations by pushing Boston to a Game 7, some critics may point to the fact that the Sixers faded in the second half of the season as a reason why the franchise needs to make changes to the roster. CSNPhilly.com's John Finger suggests that big changes may be on the horizon for the Sixers as the team looks to make a deeper run in next year's playoffs. Head coach Doug Collins was the first to admit that the group of guys currently on the Sixers roster will most likely not be the same heading into the 2012/2013 season.

“I hope our guys are going to grow from this, I hope we grow as a team,” Collins said after the Game 7 loss to Boston. “We have to add some more pieces, we know that. [Owner] Josh Harris is totally committed to that. On a day like today I always tell our players to make sure they look around the locker room and look at your teammates. You’re forever bonded, but this team will not be the same team next year. That’s the nature of sports.”

Finger says Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand may not be on next year's team as the Sixers will look to add a big man like Pau Gasol and a scorer like Steve Nash to the roster. Iguodala could be used as a trading chip to acquire Gasol as the Lakers are looking to move the Spaniard with hopes of becoming younger and faster to better complement Kobe Bryant. Financially, the move would make sense as Gasol is owed $38MM over the next two seasons while Iguodala is set to earn $30.6MM during the same time frame. Brand's future may not be as kind as Iguodala's as the former Duke star may face becoming a salary dump for a team looking for an expiring contract.

Sixers Notes: Turner, Brand, Collins

May 13th, 2012 at 3:10pm CST by Michael Pina

Last night the Sixers fell to the Celtics in a one-point game they appeared to be in control of for most of the way. Here are a few links on the playoff's lone Cinderella team as they get ready for Game 2 on Monday night.

Evan Turner's first half was nearly flawless last night, but in the second half he struggled. The Philadelphia Inquirer's John Mitchell writes that despite the team's loss, Turner's double-double was a serious bright spot.
In the Chicago Tribune, Vaughn McClure writes about how now is the time for Turner to step up to the next level.
The Washington Post's Michael Lee writes a piece about Sixers head coach Doug Collins, and how he hasn't advanced past the first round since he was with the Bulls, when Michael Jordan made "The Shot" over Craig Ehlo.
CSNPhilly.com's John Finger explains Elton Brand's lack of minutes last night.

Kyler’s Latest: Brand, Love, Lin, Anthony

February 16th, 2012 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld fielded questions from his followers on Twitter this morning, focusing on everyone's favorite topics — Jeremy Lin and Dwight Howard. In addition to his morning tweets, Kyler also has an NBA AM piece up at HoopsWorld that includes a few interesting tidbits. Here are some of the highlights:

76ers forward Elton Brand has an early termination option for 2012/13 worth about $18.16MM which will almost certainly be picked up. He intends to keep playing well past next season though, if his body allows it: "Everything hurts now but I still love playing the game and it's a joy coming out and competing against the best guys every night and having some success with the team, it feels good."
Kevin Love says the presence of Rick Adelman is a big reason why he signed a long-term extension with the Timberwolves: "He's allowed me to play with a lot of confidence and he's a coach that I enjoy playing for and I think everyone will say that in this locker room."
Addressing some Knicks trade speculation that has arisen since Lin's emergence, Kyler says it's way too early to talk about trading either Lin or Carmelo Anthony. While Kyler acknowledges that Carmelo is a tradable asset, he says the Knicks need to see the two players on the court together before jumping to any conclusions. I think this goes without saying — I don't expect we'll see Anthony leaving the Knicks anytime soon. I'm betting he and Lin will co-exist better that people are anticipating.