Sixers Angling for Brand?

When Josh Smith left town without an offer from the Sixers, it turned a few heads even though it was before the date that official deals could be made. It also left the door wide open for the team to keep its eyes on other prized free agents. With Atlanta pledging to match any offer for the Smith, it makes sense for the Sixers to explore all options, and per an ESPN report by Marc Stein, they might be gearing up for a legit run at Clippers forward Elton Brand.

In the face of a longstanding leaguewide consensus that Brand would
return to Hollywood to form a new partnership with Clipper-to-be Baron Davis,
sources say that the Sixers are growing increasingly confident in their
ability to create additional salary-cap space by trading away swingman Rodney Carney and center Calvin Booth, setting them up to make a sufficiently rich offer Brand would struggle to refuse.

Dealing
away Carney and Booth -- with Minnesota and Memphis quickly emerging as
possible destinations -- would shed nearly $3 million from the Sixers'
payroll next season as long as the trade doesn't require new GM Ed
Stefanski to take any salary back.

Stein's got a lot more on what it would take to deal the pieces and free up space to sign Brand, definitely a good read if you're following the NBA FA situation. He also says the Sixers remain interested in Smith. In any case, it's great to see that Ed Stefanski isn't hesitating to get creative and make his mark in Philly.