Brand?

[Skates]

I always hate to give up draft choices, but this is win-win:

1.  Helps us to be competitive for Brand, though I still have my doubts.  We should know what Brand will do by tommorrow.  If that fails, then...

2.  It helps us sweeten our offer tommorrow for Josh Smith just a little (I would not add another $2 million per to our offer, but maybe a couple hundred thousand) and allows us to do the rumored deal where get Knight/Deandre Jordan from the Clips.  Even if that fails...

3.  We pull off the Knight/Jordan deal anyway and have essentially traded Carney, Booth and Utah's first rounder for a promising young big with a low cap number in Jordan and a veteran PG in Knight with an expiring contract that won't eat up future cap space.  It also makes Miller more of a legitimate trade piece now or down the road at the deadline and does not screw with our future cap space.  If that is the worst case scenario, it is a good deal.

[Pure Hatred]

I know some hate digging through realgm at this time, especially through the 80+ page monster, but sf76 just posted another statement on it.

Take it for what it's worth:

I asked my buddy about the Brevin Knight, DeAndre Jordan thing and he said there was zero truth to that. They obviously arent trying to add cap money right now.

[tk76-]

Which also means we're going to have to hope Mark Price is an amazing teacher and/or we can obtain shooters through trades.

Hey, it worked for Lou for the first 2 months of last year...

This news is flat out shocking after the way things were looking these past few days.  Ed is certainly showing he won't give up easily.

You hate to give away Carney and a First for nothing (especially when we were the team supposed to benefit from our cap space with deals like that.)  Of course Carney would soon be forgotten with Brand or Smith in the fold- even though he was a potentially good fit here.

Signing Brand certainly would put Philly back on the map in a big way.  I know leaving the Clippers doesn't sound like much, but the idea of turning down LA and SF for Philly would show just how much the last 3 months of the season went to establishing the Sixers as a young team on the rise. 

The Sixers would be out of cap space after signing Brand, but would now be established as a prime destination- and I believe remaining holes could be plugged with further trades or a big name MLE next summer, because suddenly I'm not sure Miller would be leaving given this was exactly what he was hoping to see.

[shadowTerp]

Wish we didn't have to give away Carney... but agreed that either Brand/Smith is worth the price (assuming we get one of them).

The ironic thing is that if Iggy does move to the 2, we end up going from being ridiculously strong at the 3 last year (Iggy/Young/Carney/Korver) to actually a little weak.

[tk76-]

The ironic thing is that if Iggy does move to the 2, we end up going from being ridiculously strong at the 3 last year (Iggy/Young/Carney/Korver) to actually a little weak.

We can always bring back Bobby Jones or Byars 

Seriously, gave this some thought to and I'm not worried.  Iguodala and Thad will split minutes at SF.  Iguodala, Green and Lou will split minutes at SG.  We can't afford an injury of Iguodala or Young- but that's the case regardless of who is on the bench.

[Pure Hatred]

Wouldn't mind a small ball line up of Brand/Speights or Smith/Young/Iguodala/Lou Williams either. That line-up is probably the best possible spacing on the court we could have at any one time.

[tk76-]

Looking at the roster after Brand:

PG: Miller, Lou
SG: Iguodala, Green
SF: Young
PF: Brand, Evans, Speights
C: Sam, Smith

1. That is only 10 players.  i assume the league has some rule that allows a capped team to fill out there roster with minimum players?

2.  Assuming Smith and Speights are ready to give good back-up minutes at PF/C then Evans is definitely the guy to move.  I like what he brings off the bench, but I would rather move him for a bench shooter.

Or, maybe Smith gets moved for a prospect like Crit, or someone who can shoot?  I guess this thinking implies Speights is ready to contribute- which for some reason I think he is.

[tk76-]

Wouldn't mind a small ball line up of Brand/Speights.

I don't even think I would call that small ball.  Both are legit PF/C (at least once Speights is ready to contribute.)  Brand may be 6'8, but he has no neck, and has logged many minutes at center.

[Pure Hatred]

Teams can offer players minimum salary contracts even if they are over the cap.  Contracts can be up to two years in length.  For two year contracts, the second season salary is the minimum salary for that season.  The contract may not contain a signing bonus.  This exception also allows minimum salary players to be acquired via trade.  There is no limit to the number of players that can be signed or acquired using this exception.

I can't say for sure, but I believe this wonderful exception allowed us to sign Calvin Booth last year.

[Pure Hatred]

Wouldn't mind a small ball line up of Brand/Speights or Smith/Young/Iguodala/Lou Williams either. That line-up is probably the best possible spacing on the court we could have at any one time.

EDIT, I stand corrected.

[shadowTerp]

The great side benefit about signing Brand is that Speights gets to learn from someone with a similar frame and skills (Brand) and a good hard-working, hustle guy (Evans).  We can also bring him along slowly (which we posters won't have patience for). 

If he can't learn from those two how to be a good PF... he never was going to be good anyway.

[Derek Bodner]

Yes, you can always sign guys for the minimum.

[jemagee]

If this proposed trade with the wolves does not add to cap room, but instead a trade exception, how can it help the sixers increase their offer to brand?

Additionally, aren't trade exceptions only allowed to be used in a trade with one player?  or is the limitation only on the team trading the exception (in this case the wolves)

I still don't know that i'm completely sold on brand as the guy for the sixers plans, but i know people are completely sold on his name

[jemagee]

If you're elton brand do you make it a condition that the sixers extend andre miller to maintain stability at the point?

[DuckyNinja]

We'd get cap space now and a trade exception to use later.  If the Clippers weren't extremely furious with us for stealing Brand, I think it would be enough to use that trade exception for the Knight/Jordan deal (not sure all the numbers, it would be close).

Also, my friend described Elton Brand as a slightly better defensively version of Zach Randolph.  That certainly put a damper on things.

And Jem: While I don't think Brand is right for a running team, I also don't think a running team with no 3 point shooters can really compete come playoff time when the court slows down.