Sixers reportedly sign Nick Young to one-year contract and are going to amnesty Elton Brand.
It appears the days of Lou Williams and Elton Brand wearing Sixers uniforms are done. And Nick Young is apparently on his way.
Sixers reportedly sign Nick Young to one-year contract and are going to amnesty Elton Brand.
Bob Cooney
The 76ers have reportedly signed shooting guard Nick Young to a one-year contract for close to $6 million and are ready to use their amnesty clause on Elton Brand, reports say.
The signing of Young, a 6-6 shooting guard, certainly seems to indicate that Lou Williams will not be back with the team. Williams opted out of the last year of his contract with the team, worth about the same amount of Young's reported contract.
Williams seems to have confirmed that idea today when he tweeted the following:
Philly, I appreciate you all. Unfortunately I will not be coming back, as an organization they decided to move in a different direction.
— Lou Williams (@TeamLou23) July 6, 2012
The 27 year-old young was a first round draft pick (16th overall) of the Washington Wizards in 2007. In 62 games last season, 40 with the Wizards and 22 with the Clippers, Young shot 40.3 percent from the floor, including 103-for-282 (36.5 percent) from three-point range. He averaged 14.2 points, slightly over his career average of 11.4 points. He is a very good free throw shooter at 83 percent for his career, but his main attribute is his outside shooting.
By using the amnesty clause on Brand, the Sixers will probably use that money ($18.2 million) on finding a veteran big man who may be able to start at the power forward position and a backup point guard. Right now Jrue Holiday is the only real point guard on the roster, though Evan Turner and Andre Iguodala could handle the ball when necessary. A true backup point guard would allow the team to not only use him when Holiday is out of the game, but move Holiday off the ball at times also.
Williams, 25, spent all of his 7 NBA seasons with the Sixers after being taken with the 45th overall pick in 2005 out of South Gwinnett High School. He led the team in scoring this past season with 14.9 points a game despite not starting a single game. For his career he has averaged 11.3 points and 3 assists.
Brand, the top overall pick by the Chicago Bulls in 1999, will turn 34 this upcoming season. He averaged a career-low 11 points this past season but was able to grab 7.2 rebounds and block 1.6 shots in 29 minutes of play.
Today's reported moves appear to be the beginning of more. Coach Doug Collins and his assistants are down in Orlando preparing for next week's summer league. President Rod Thorn is still in Philadelphia, though he will join Collins and company in Orlando on Monday.
More to come.
To all those saying Young is selfish - How many guys on the current roster would you prefer to take a shot over Young? With this team, Young needs to shoot the ball EVERY time he is open. And, Quixote's point that William's 3-point shooting % was lower than Iguodala's? Ouch. A bunch of good slashers and no one to spread the floor. Not saying that Young is the answer to all that ails them. But, at least he gives them a different look and the potential to spread the floor for the slashers.- bears - If Lou is coveted and efficient then why didn't he sign for more somewhere else yet? This move definitely helps his bargaining somewhere else. They will say...why do I want to give you more than 6 million when Nick Young is only getting 6.
I bet someone will sign him to above 6.4 but not by much. Bleacher Report had a great article on Busts of Free Agency this year and Lou was high on the list.
Lou was the most exciting player to watch! Him dribbling the last 24 seconds of each quarter and throwing up an iso one on one shot was dazzling.
I also enjoyed him scoring a lot of points when the game was out of reach and we were up large. Can you tell me one game Lou won it for us besides that Lakers game? I don't remember.
Finally a move based on need.— The Villain ET - So far this is our team (officially) - LaVoy Allen
Moe Harkless
Spencer Hawes
Jrue Holiday
Andre Iguodala
Arnett Moultrie
Evan Turner
Nikola Vucevic
Nick Young
Thad Young
No way this is the complete team. We don't have a backup PG and Nick Young is not that. He's the backup SG. With Lou gone we still lack a player to get inside get fouled and get to the free throw line (like Lou did). I don't see anyone on the roster as our current starting PF. Thad? Nope. LaVoy? Possible Moultrie? He's a rookie, no. We still need a scorer in our starting lineup to hit the three. Ilyasova can do that. If we want more scoring we go for DeRozan/Calderon to fill the scoring and back PG roles in one move (trading Iguodala/Vucevic). I feel we are 3 players away but that would include trading Iguodala or Thad. We can be wrong about who the 76ers are targeting. Remember how many of us felt they were going to go after Josh Smith then out-of-the-blue they sign Elton Brand for the "Philly-max"? Whatever happens it is not going to be based on what the fans want but what Doug Collins and company want. Rightfully so. Many of us have our own opinions and they differ from one another. DC and company have to base their decisions on THEIR basketball knowledge and not ours.— joecooler2u - I thought i read somewhere early on that the sixers maybe interested in dealing for Rudy gay? Contract seems way too big but he's a nice player. Did anyone else hear/read the same?— sore richard
- Folks don't forget Lou opted out. Young provides a need and will be what Meeks should have been. Space the floor for holiday, ET and Iggy. The team could not get tied up again by another bad multi year deal that Lou was looking for. Trust me we would have regret signing Lou to a multi year deal tying up cap space.— dogbullet2000
Offer Lou the last year of his deal. 1 yr 6.3 mil.— combocancer1975- Just in case he does not get a deal he's satisfied with. 1 year 7 mil. Slightly overpay. We will need a point guard we now have the money with the recent move. Leave an offer on the table 1 yr 6.5-7 mil before he signs elsewhere. Find out mahinmi's asking price for 1 yr. sign battie 1 yr offer Lou the rest for 1 yr. — combocancer1975
- I KNOW jr smith will take 1 year 7 mil. — combocancer1975
- Offer Lou the last year of his deal 1 year 6.3 mil. And Ian Mahinmi and lavoy Allen type deal. Battie at 13.
Turner, jrue, iguodala, Arnett, Spencer
Lou (1 yr 6.3), Nick Young, Thad, Lavoy, Nik.
Mahinmi (1 yr slightly overpay) Harkless. Battie (1 year) at 13.
Give turner the ball. It's time to evaluate and decide on his 6.7 mil team option. If he fails or doesn't live up to expectations, decline the option, let him walk. Mahinmi (3.5 mil) nick young (6.0 mil) Lou (6.3 mil) Turner (6.7 mil) that's 24 mil in cap space next summer.— combocancer1975 - i still think the move is turner, not iggy. i see turners offensive game obvi continuing to improve but iggy brings too much to the table especially defensively when you have guys like melo and paul pierce and now joe johnson in your division. i think last season was big for iggys mental toughness and overall mentality as the "leader" on this team. they are all moving in the right direction and learning how to win.— Noah11
- Awful move. The only think Young give you more of than Lou is height, but it's not like he uses it to rebound. If DC can coach him up, then it might be a good move. Maybe they'll be able to make a play at some of the restricted FAs that will hit the market after next season. Will miss Lou though.— MCC1701
- I can not believe all the love for Lou. He was a good bench/role player that opted out. In young they have a specialist for the first time in a long time. Another shoe will drop. Don't think about Young replacing Lou but replacing Meeks. This move will also force DC to play ET more. No down side here — dogbullet2000
- How many ppg would Lou have scored if he was a starter?— ziller0604
- Honestly, i do not understand the love affair with Lou. I thought he was a good player, but the main focus must shift to Holliday and Turner (Bear please let it go). This team core players is very young and the front office should develop the team as such.As far as EB, his production did not add up to his contract and he is taking a roster spot away for a younger developing player. In todays market its only two ways to build a team. First, through draft and young players like OKC. Secondly, target three stars and pay them max money (Boston,Miami,Nets). The Sixers have choose to develop young players.Fine! Now Iggie must go because your captain cannot have a low offensive ceiling. Also, he talent is his athleticism and it is only a matter of time before that starts declining.— Sunny D
- According to Hollinger, the Sixers front office is bungling their future. By not having a team option year or two on Allen's contract (like everyone else would do), the Sixers had to waist the mid level on Allen, which necessitated cutting Brand so that you could sign Young instead of using the mid level on Young and having more cap space for another, better free agent.— DeanoP44
Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for more than 20 years, working in the sports department for the past 15. This is his third season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he was the La Salle beat writer for six seasons. E-mail Bob at cooneyb@phillynews.com and follow him on Twitter.
