NBA Rumors: Philadelphia 76ers Must Amnesty Elton Brand in Order to Improve

The Philadelphia 76ers came so close to making the Eastern Conference Finals as the No. 8 seed. They got some luck with Derrick Rose’s injury in the first round, but they proved that they are a tough, resilient team.

They must build upon their newfound identity in order to continue to stay relevant and competitive.

The best way for them to do that is to clear up some cap room by using their amnesty clause on Elton Brand.

According to the staff of Rotoworld:

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Brand is owed $18 million next season, but it's the final year of his deal. The only way it would make sense to amnesty the declining Brand is if it meant the Sixers would be adding a major piece. There are rumors they'll go after Kris Humphries in free agency and are also high on Lavoy Allen at power forward.

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If the Sixers are truly committed to getting better, as coach Doug Collins has told Del Lynam of CSNPhilly is the case, it just makes perfect sense.

The second-year coach had this to say about his offseason plans for the roster:

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We have to sit down and evaluate every player on our team and see how it all fits together. We have to get where we can score the ball. Our defense was as good as anybody’s. We have to get bigger and stronger and more athletic on the front line. We need bigger wings.

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They will not be able to make those major adjustments without clearing off that $18 million from Brand’s contract.

Should the ownership group decide to make the decision to sacrifice that money for the sake of competing, they would definitely have plenty of cash to dole out to free agents like Humphries.

We’ll keep you updated right here on B/R with the latest rumors, breaking news, opinions and analysis on the 76ers offseason, so stay tuned.