Free-agent forward Elton Brand signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.
According to Yahoo Sports, the 76ers waived forward Christian Wood to make room on the roster for Brand. Brand had announced that he was retiring last August. He is returning to the NBA so that he can be a mentor to rookie Jahlil Okafor and other young players.
“The truth is, my decision to return to the NBA isn’t about money, and it isn’t about rings,” Brand wrote in a piece for Sports Illustrated’s “The Cauldron”. “It isn’t even about me, really, although every athlete would like to go out on his or her own terms. It’s about repaying what’s owed, about making sure that the young men who follow in my footsteps get what they’re entitled to (and what I haven’t always given them).”
Brand was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1999. He has played for the Bulls, 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, and the Atlanta Hawks. From 2008 to 2012 he played for the 76ers averaging 13 points and seven rebounds, NBA.com notes. Last season he played with the Hawks and averaged 2.7 points and 2.8 rebounds, according to ESPN. Brand, a two-time All-Star, has averaged 16.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, and two assists in his 16-year career.
Wood averaged 3.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14 games with the 76ers this season.