Wed Jul 9 17:36:49 2008

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Clipped: Brand leaves LA for Philly

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Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Philadelphia 76ers introduced power forward Elton Brand on Wednesday after inking the former Los Angeles Clipper to a five-year contract reportedly worth about $82 million.

Brand opted out of the final year of his contract with the Clippers in June, which would have paid him $16.4 million, in order to negotiate a new deal. The Clippers signed free-agent guard Baron Davis in the meantime, ostensibly to show Brand that they were committed to winning, and made an offer to Brand.

The seven-year Clipper turned down the deal, though, and was in Philadelphia on Monday with his new general manager, Ed Stefanski. The Philadelphia Daily News reported the terms of the deal on Wednesday.

"He does all the right things, and he will be a great asset both on and off the court," said Stefanski, who pointed to the fact that only four active players in the NBA have career averages of 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds per game -- Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Garnett, and Brand.

"I think that should explain why we had such interest and wanted a guy like this," said Stefanski.

The 29-year-old Brand sat out 74 games last season while recovering from a ruptured Achilles' tendon. He played in just eight games at the end of last season and had averages of 17.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.

"I'm 100 percent," said Brand of his health. "I'm prepared, I'm strong ... Everything's fine, the explosiveness is there and I'm excited."

The first overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft out of Duke, Brand spent his first two seasons playing for the Chicago Bulls. He has career averages of 20.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.

The Sixers cleared salary cap space earlier Wednesday to make the deal by trading forwards Rodney Carney and Calvin Booth and a future No. 1 pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for a 2010 second-round pick.