Free Agent Elton Brand hoping that the Dallas Mavericks bid for him – NBA News
Free agent forward Elton Brand has shown his desire to be picked up by the Dallas Mavericks off the amnesty waivers. Brand played for the Philadelphia 76ers last season but was amnestied by them on Wednesday at 5 p.m. He was owed
$18.1 million by the Sixers over the final year of his contract, which he will still get.
The amnesty will now start a 48 hour period in which teams under the salary cap can submit blind bids to claim his services.
Brand would ideally want to clear off waivers and become an unrestricted free agent, which will give him the right to sign with any team. But it is highly unlikely that no team will bid for him, given his talent and value even
at this age. He averaged 18.3 points and 9.4 rebounds last season with the Sixers.
Brand was one of the best forwards in the NBA a few seasons ago, when he played with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers made the second round of the playoffs for the first time in three decades in 2006, with Brand the franchise
player of that team. He missed most of the 2007-2008 NBA season with an Achilles tear and was traded to the Sixers after the season.
Of all the teams that have cap space and can bid for Brand, league sources have informed that the Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors will not be bidding for him. The Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Hornets are
thinking of making a bid, but their intent is also not certain at this time.
The Mavericks would be the best fit for Brand, as they have a good roster, superstar Dirk Nowitzki, and a management committed to winning. They faced a setback in free agency when they were unable to sign star point guard Deron
Williams, while Jason Terry and Jason Kidd left the team to sign contracts elsewhere. But they made some good moves to sign free agent centre Chris Kaman for one year, and trade Ian Mahinmi to the Indiana Pacers for Darren Collison and Dahntay Jones on Wednesday.
Brand is a good friend of Kaman as both played in the Clippers squad for five seasons, forming a strong front court duo.
Teams interested in Brand have to submit a minimum bid of $1.35 million, the minimum salary for a veteran like Brand with 10 or more years of experience. The highest bidder will receive the services of Brand and the bid will be
subtracted from the $18.1 million the Sixers owe him, while the remaining will be paid by them over a period of up to three years.
Brand is certainly looking forward to playing for Dallas and the Mavericks could also use his experience as well as his rebounding and scoring abilities. But for that, they need to put up an offer.
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