Elton Brand “retired” last year, though he left the door open for a return.
The 76ers, desperate for a veteran presence, signed him last January. They even re-signed him this offseason.
But Brand wont stick with Philadelphia into the regular season.
Jessica Camerato of CSN Philly:
Elton Brand has announced his retirement. pic.twitter.com/S49smnml6r
— Jessica Camerato (@JessicaCamerato) October 20, 2016
Brand had a $1 million guarantee on his contract. It’s unclear how much, if any, of that money he’ll get. The first $980,431 would come from the 76ers, any more would come from the league. Philadelphia is far enough below the salary floor to give him a parting gift with minimal team-building constraint.
There had been talk of Brand surviving from the 20-man offseason roster to the 15-man regular-season roster, but this provides clarity for the 76ers. Undrafted rookies James Webb III, Brandon Paul, Cat Barber and Shawn Long are the other likely cuts.
If this is truly the end for Brand, he had a fantastic career since the Bulls drafted him No. 1 overall in 1999. Neither his peak (seventh in 2006 MVP voting, leading the Clippers that year to their first playoff-series victory in Los Angeles) nor longevity (17 seasons, including eight averaging at 20 points and nine rebounds per game) have been properly appreciated.