Ex-No. 1 pick ends his playing career

Philadelphia 76ers forward Elton Brand has announced his retirement.

Brand was the first overall pick out of Duke in the 1999 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls and was named rookie of the year. Brand played 17 seasons in the NBA and was in his second stint with the 76ers.

He averaged 15.9 points and 8.5 rebounds in 1,058 games with the Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks and 76ers.

Brand was a two-time AllStar when he spurned better offers and signed an $82 million, five-year free-agent contract in 2008 with Philadelphia.

He made the announcement Thursday at the 76ers’ training complex in Camden, N.J., Brand said playing in the NBA has been “a wonderful journey. It’s been an honor and a privilege.”

Brand had not played in the preseason and will still collect $1 million.

Bulls

No matter how this season plays out, this much is clear about the Chicago Bulls: They’re worth watching. They jettisoned one hometown superstar and welcomed another when they traded former MVP Derrick Rose and signed three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade. They also handed the keys to an AllStar guard in Jimmy Butler and added mercurial point guard Rajon Rondo to the mix. Coming off a flat season that ended with them missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008, the Bulls at least spiced things up in the offseason.

Pistons

Detroit exercised its team option on forward Stanley Johnson through the 201718 season. The move came as little surprise after Johnson averaged 8.1 points and 4.2 rebounds as a rookie in 201516. Detroit drafted him with the No. 8 pick in 2015. He made six starts last season.