Sources Say Brand Will Spurn Clippers, Sign with 76ers

July 9, 2008 -- The highly anticipated Hollywood marriage hooking up Elton Brand and Baron Davis is over before it started.

The Philadelphia 76ers swiftly and stunningly managed to break it up after a week of bliss in theory only by convincing Brand to jump to the Eastern Conference and spurn what was widely presumed to be his slam-dunk return to the Los Angeles Clippers to play alongside Davis.

NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com on Tuesday that Brand has verbally agreed to sign a five-year deal worth an estimated $82 million with the Sixers, who feared as recently as late last week that they wouldn't be able to compete financially for Brand with the Clippers and Golden State Warriors.

But Philadelphia first reached an agreement in principle Monday with the Minnesota Timberwolves on a trade that, according to sources, will send Sixers forward Rodney Carney, center Calvin Booth and a future first-round pick to the Wolves without Philadelphia having to take back any salary. It's a trade that will shave nearly $3 million off the Sixers' payroll next season and increase what was already substantial salary-cap space, positioning Philadelphia to secure a verbal commitment from Brand on a five-year agreement believed to be starting in the $14-to-15 million range.

The deal can't be finalized until Wednesday, which is the first day that NBA teams can officially complete signings and trades after the lifting of a leaguewide moratorium on rosters which began July 1. The Sixers must submit their trade with Minnesota for league approval before signing Brand, which isn't likely to happen until the league office opens for business Wednesday morning.

But Brand was already in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, sources said, preparing to join his new team just seven days after Davis had verbally committed to sign with his hometown Clippers and seemingly ensure that the bruising power forward would be going nowhere.

Brand could not be reached for comment, but one source close to the process said: "Elton wants to go East."