Report: Atlanta Hawks in contract negotiations with Elton Brand

The rumor mill has gone quiet surrounding the Atlanta Hawks in recent days, with the biggest pieces of news surrounding the “official” signing of Mike Scott and some highly manufactured rumors about a potential Eric Bledsoe trade. With that in mind, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution slipped in a report about Elton Brand and potential negotiations with the club earlier in the week, to the point where seemingly no one noticed.

In the midst of a piece announcing the Scott signing, Vivlamore had this to say about Brand:

"The Hawks could add a 15th player before the start of training camp next month. They are in negotiations with unrestricted center Elton Brand, who played last season with the team."

While it certainly isn’t a bombshell that the two sides could be engaged in discussions, this is the first report of any formal negotiations between Brand and the Hawks. The now 35-year-old Brand appeared in 73 regular season games and seven playoff games for the 2013-2014 Hawks, and he was critical in bridging the gap following the Al Horford injury. For the season, Brand averaged 5.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, but in addition to that, he provided a valuable interior presence defensively when it was sorely needed.

News around Elton Brand has been sparse during the off-season, as there were rumors of a potential retirement, but if he wants to play, the Hawks could be prominently involved in pursuing his services. What do you think about the potential signing? Is this a valuable depth play by Danny Ferry? Tell us in the comments.