PHILADELPHIA — Bye-bye, Elton Brand. See you later, Lou Williams.
The 76ers turned a mundane offseason into monumental by jettisoning their leading scorers from each of the last two seasons and clearing needed space in the salary cap to potentially set up a bigger move.
Team president Rod Thorn made a pair of bold moves Friday that showed the 76ers believed changes were needed for the franchise to grow.
Thorn said the Sixers decided to use the amnesty clause on Brand and will get about $18 million in salary cap relief for next season. Williams opted out of the final year of his contract that was worth $6.4 million.
With money to spend, the Sixers agreed Friday to a one-year contract with guard Nick Young.
The NBA’s amnesty clause allows a team to waive one player during the new labor deal and have 100 percent of his salary taken off the cap and the tax.
Movement across the league. Ray Allen will take less money for a chance at another NBA championship. Allen told the Heat he intends to accept the team’s contract offer and leave Boston after five seasons, even though the Celtics could pay him about twice as much as the reigning champions will be able to next season. Miami could only offer Allen the mini-midlevel deal, worth about $3 million for next season. Allen can’t officially sign until Wednesday because of the league’s moratorium. … The Warriors signed 30th overall pick Festus Ezeli, a 6-foot-11 forward from Nigeria via Vanderbilt, to his first contract. … The Nets signed second-round pick Tyshawn Taylor, a point guard from Kansas. … The Rockets signed Donatas Motiejunas to a multiyear contract. Motiejunas, a 7-foot forward and center from Lithuania, was the 20th overall pick by the Timberwolves in the 2011 draft and then was traded to Houston. He spent last season in the Polish League, where he averaged 15.7 points and 6.6 rebounds in 26 minutes per game. … Brandon Roy agreed to contract terms late Thursday night with the Timberwolves on a two-year, $10.4 million deal.
The Associated Press
