Sixers sign veteran forward Elton Brand

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Updated: 1:50 p.m.

Desperate for veteran leadership, the Sixers have signed forward Elton Brand.

The team announced the move Monday afternoon.

Yahoo Sports first reported it, and shortly thereafter, Sports Illustrated posted a story in which Brand explains why he's signing with the 76ers.

Brand has played 16 seasons in the NBA, including four with the Sixers, since being selected out of Duke by the Bulls with the first overall pick in the 1999 draft.

The 36-year-old first joined the Sixers in 2008, signing what he called the "Philly max" contract.

Now he's back in his "adopted hometown."

"Now, here in Philadelphia, my adopted hometown, I’m excited to have a chance to do things differently  —  be a positive influence and help the organization get back on track," Brand wrote.

In 1,041 career games, he's averaged 16.1 points and 8.6 rebounds. He played the last two seasons for the Hawks, averaging 4.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 17.4 minutes in 109 games. He said he didn't want to end his career after his Hawks were swept by the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals, when he split a pair of free throws after the Cavs purposely fouled him.

"I mean, I was once a No. 1 overall NBA draft pick. An All-Star. A lifetime 74 percent free throw shooter! And now I’m out there because someone else expected me to fail?" he wrote.

But Brand is returning for more compelling reasons too.

"The truth is, my decision to return to the NBA isn’t about money, and it isn’t about rings. It isn’t even about me, really, although every athlete would like to go out on his or her own terms," he wrote. "It’s about repaying what’s owed, about making sure that the young men who follow in my footsteps get what they’re entitled to (and what I haven’t always given them)."

The Sixers have plenty of young men, and Brand is embracing his role as player-mentor, specifically in regard to big man Jahlil Okafor.

"I’m not coming here to hold Jahlil’s hand — or anyone else’s, for that matter — because that’s not what he needs," Brand wrote. "But I do believe my experience and wisdom can benefit him and my other young teammates. It’s about communicating with them like men, starting to grow together, and — hopefully, eventually — winning some ballgames. That’s what Sam Hinkie and I talked about when he approached me about joining the team, and what has me so excited about this opportunity."

To make room for Brand, the Sixers waived 20-year-old big man Christian Wood, according to CSNPhilly's John Finger. Wood averaged 3.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14 games.

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