76ers Sign Actual Big Man

“Sixers Reach Verbal Agreement With Elton Brand.” Uh, Philly.com? You have the Daily News headlines to choose from. Use them.

So, yes, despite that oh-so-exciting headline, this is a pretty fantastic move: The 76ers went out and reached a verbal agreement with Elton Brand for a 5-year, $82 million deal. John Hollinger writes this move makes the 76ers instant contenders in the East.

Brand appeared headed back to the Clippers to team with ex-Warriors guard Baron Davis; the 76ers, though, cleared cap room by trading Rodney Carney and Calvin Booth — ha ha, somebody traded for Calvin Booth — plus a future first-round pick to the Timberwolves for a $2.8 million trade exemption. (What an exciting transaction!) Marc Stein writes that Brand also wanted to go East, where the centers are not as tall and the teams are not as good.

Shockingly, Brand’s surgeon says Brand’s injury — he missed almost all of last season while recovering from surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles’ tendon — is nothing to worry about. Reminiscent of the Phillies’ trade for a closer who came to his first press conference on crutches, the 76ers have signed a player coming off an injury. On the plus side, the Brad Lidge deal has worked out pretty well so far.