When the Philadelphia 76ers began their upheaval of the organization under the regime of new chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo, everyone anticipated there would be changes coming.
They hired Mike D’Antoni as head assistant coach to Brett Brown, pairing Colangelo and D’Antoni once again dating back to their days with the Phoenix Suns. Then they traded for Ish Smith, a point guard who succeeded in his time with Philly and now it appears that Colangelo will be bringing another one of his reliable players to the 76ers.
They discussed bringing in Elton Brand and Shane Battier to the team, two players who both have ties to Team USA and Duke University, two organizations that Jerry Colangelo knows very well. Whether the team was going to bring in one of the guys as a player or special representative for the team wasn’t clear but now it appears that Brand will be joining the team as a player, coming out of retirement.
Following from Yahoo! Sports Shams Charania.
The Philadelphia 76ers plan to sign veteran forward Elton Brand today, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 4, 2016
The 76ers will be releasing young big man Christian Wood as result of signing Brand. Following from Keith Pompey of Philly.com.
Christian Wood will be player released to make room for Elton Brand.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) January 4, 2016
Brand previously said that he would retire unless he ‘got the call’ and it appears that Philly got on the phone without hesitation.
But Elton Brand wrote, courtesy of ‘The Cauldron’, he knows his role on this Philly team and he will be seen as a mentor to suddenly troubled young star Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel.
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).
Now, 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.
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.
So for those of you still asking why I am doing this, I’ll just go ahead and refer you to Coach K. While wrestling over the holidays with the idea of playing again, I knew he was the higher power I needed to consult with. He made it very clear to me that not taking advantage of this opportunity would be something I would likely regret. Now, as I prepare to lace ’em up for one last time, I know he was right.
I am truly honored to be able to pass on what I have learned to Jahlil, Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid, and my other teammates, and to be a positive influence on a young team with an incredibly bright future. It’s time for me to give back to the game that has given me so much. Let’s do this.
