Brand signs with 76ers

From combined dispatches

Elton Brand signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, giving them the low-post presence needed to contend in the Eastern Conference.

The power forward’s arrival represents a huge move for the Sixers, who have worked quickly to become a threat in the East. He should immediately improve the emerging Sixers with his 20.3 points and 10.2 rebounds a game average over nine seasons.

Brand played in only eight games last season because of an Achilles tendon injury.

Brand said he was 100 percent and ready to go.

“I won’t let anybody down,” he said.

Last week, Brand opted out of his contract with the Clippers, but Los Angeles was expected to make a strong push to re-sign him. Instead, he spurned the Clippers and agreed to a five-year deal with Philadelphia worth a reported $82 million.

“My intention was to try and work something out with the Clippers,” Brand said.

HEAT: James Jones signed a five-year contract with Miami, giving the swingman an opportunity to play for his hometown team starting next season.

Jones, a South Florida native who played at the University of Miami, made 291 shots from 3-point range over the past three seasons while playing for Phoenix and Portland. The forward opted out of his deal with Portland, and the Heat quickly showed interest, offering a deal that will pay him $4 million next season.

RAPTORS: Toronto added six-time All-Star Jermaine O’Neal to their lineup in a multiplayer deal with Indiana that sent guard T.J. Ford and center Rasho Nesterovic to the Pacers.

The teams agreed to the deal in principle before last month’s draft, but it couldn’t be officially announced until today.

The Raptors also acquired the draft rights to forward Nathan Jawai while the Pacers get forward Maceo Baston and the draft rights to center Roy Hibbert.

KNICKS: New York signed Chris Duhon, giving the Knicks another option at point guard if they part ways with Stephon Marbury.

Duhon spent his first four years with the Chicago Bulls, averaging a career-low 5.8 points last season. He was not re-signed by the Bulls, who needed to clear room in their backcourt after drafting point guard Derrick Rose with the No. 1 pick.

MAVERICKS: DeSagana Diop signed a five-year, $31 million deal with Dallas six months after Dallas sent him to New Jersey in the Jason Kidd trade.

The Mavericks used their entire midlevel exception in their second free agent deal with Diop since 2005.

BUCKS: Center Andrew Bogut will sign a five-year, $72.5 million extension with Milwaukee later this week, his agent said.

Bogut, the top pick in the 2005 draft, was expected to sign the extension Friday, agent David Bauman said.

The agreement was first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on its Web site. A message left with Bucks general manager John Hammond was not immediately returned.