Free agent forward Elton Brand is hoping the Dallas Mavericks submit the winning bid for his services among eligible teams and claim him off of amnesty waivers, according to a source close to the 33-year-old. Brand was officially amnestied by the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday at 5 p.m., starting the 48-hour claim process in which teams that are under the salary cap can submit blind bids to claim him. The team that submits the highest bid gets the player.
Ideally, Brand would want to clear waivers, according to the source. If no team submitted a claim, he would become an unrestricted free agent and would be able to sign with any team, including those over the cap, as long as they had cap exceptions. But the likelihood of no team under the cap making a bid is unlikely, given the dearth of quality big men available. Brand has slowed some in the past few years after suffering an Achilles’ injury, but his career averages of 18.3 points and 9.4 rebounds are probably too good to pass up.
Going to Dallas “would be great,” the source said.
League sources indicated that at least three teams with room, the Cavaliers, Bucks and Raptors, would not be making bids on Brand. The Suns and Hornets were contemplating making a bid, according to other league sources. But teams are leery of making bids if Brand doesn’t want to play there. The Clippers had to do some fence-mending with guard Chauncey Billups after they claimed him off of waivers for a little more than $2 million last December, following his amnesty by the Knicks. Billups had wanted to clear amnesty waivers and sign with the Heat.
The Mavericks, the source close to Brand said, provide the best fit among the teams under the cap.
