Report: Sixers Sign Shooting Guard Nick Young, Amnesty Elton Brand
By Spike Eskin
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Sixers have signed free-agent guard Nick Young, and will use the amnesty clause on Elton Brand reports Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski.
@WojYahooNBA: Young has agreed to a 1-year, 6M deal with Sixers, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Y!
The news doesn't stop there.
@WojYahooNBA: The 76ers have decided to use the amnesty clause on Elton Brand and the $18M left on final year of his deal, league sources tell Y! Sports.
They are a bit of a package deal, in that the Sixers do not have the cap space to sign Young's deal without using the amnesty clause on Brand.
In five NBA seasons, Young has averaged 11.4 points on 43% shooting, while shooting 38% from three point range and 83% from the free throw line. He played last season for the Wizards and Clippers, and averaged 14.2 points per game.
Nick Young doesn't pass very much, and does love to shoot, and does not play much defense, which will likely mean he will fill the role of Lou Williams, who confirmed via Twitter he will not be returning.
@TeamLou23: Philly, I appreciate you all. Unfortunately I will not be coming back, as an organization they decided to move in a different direction.
The signing cannot be made official until July 11th.
The amnesty clause means that the Sixers will be responsible for the money Brand's contract, but it will not count against the salary cap. If another team signs him via amnesty auction, the Sixers will have to pay him the remaining sum. For instance, Elton Brand is scheduled to make $18 million next season, if he is acquired via amnesty auction for $7 million, the Sixers must pay $11 million. Two things are sure, the Sixers now have cap space, and Elton Brand will not be on the team next season.
Though this could clear the way for the Sixers to sign a "major" free-agent, it could also just clear the way for them to fill out the roster without trading Andre Iguodala. They're in need of guards, and this would give them the cap space to do so. By signing players to one year deals with that space, they'd still have space available for free agents in 2013.
We wanted a signing, we got a signing. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
