Philadelphia 76ers 2012 Offseason: A Kwame Brown Memorandum

After unclogging 18 million big ones off of the financial records as a result of waiving power forward Elton Brand, the Sixers have vacancy at the power forward, center and backup point guard positions. Kris Humphries, Carl Landry, Derek Fisher and Aaron Brooks, among other talented players, were at the front office's disposal on the free-agent wire, and the Philadelphia 76ers acquired Kwame Brown in a recent two-year deal.

Kwame Brown.

For about $6 million total over two years, Sixers' president and GM Rod Thorn hired Kwame Brown in an effort to provide inexpensive depth to the roster that recently shed the veteran power forward Brand.

Brown was the first-overall selection of the 2001 NBA draft, joining the Washington Wizards directly from Glynn High School in Brunswick, Georgia. Coach Doug Collins of the Sixers was the coach of the Wizards at the time of the draft in 2001. Brown's 2001 stat line in 57 games played looked bleak at best. He averaged 4.5 PPG and 3.5 RPG in 2001.

His career averages in 270 games started: 6.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 0.6 BPG.

The Sixers' depth at power forward includes sophomore Lavoy Allen and rookie Arnett Moultrie, which could lead to a starting frontcourt that includes Brown.

After aggressively acquiring a true shooting guard who can create his own scoring opportunities in Nick Young and drafting long, athletic bodies who can easily mesh with the system, Moultrie and Maurice Harkless, this controversial move stumps basketball aficionados nationally, especially with all of the options previously—and still—available on the free-agent market.

A lone positive pulled away from the startling acquisition? The deal is very contractually friendly to the front office, leaving some to wonder if the deal arranged beholds a future acquisition—be it through a trade or a signing in the 2014-2015 season when the contract expires.

For a while now, Andre Igoudala and Elton Brand were the scapegoats of this city's basketball troubles. But, for the time being, I think Philly has a new punching bag.