After acquiring Nerlens Noel from the New York Knicks in a salary dump during the past offseason, the Detroit Pistons, a rebuilding team, simply didn't have much use for the 28-year old center. With the Pistons trying to develop young big men Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, Marvin Bagley III, and James Wiseman, it was only a matter of time before they shipped out Noel to a team in need of a veteran presence on the interior.
However, the Pistons were unable to find a suitable Noel trade prior to the NBA trade deadline. This eventually necessitated an agreement on a buyout between the two parties, with Noel entering free agency being eligible for the postseason.
It's unclear if Nerlens Noel still has something left in the tank that, at the very least, makes him worthy of minutes on a team with contending aspirations. Noel has only played in 14 games this season, averaging 10.9 minutes. Nevertheless, his ability to rack up defensive stats – and his defensive track record – still makes him an enticing buy-low option for a team in dire need of frontcourt reinforcement.
Here are three ideal destinations for the former Pistons center as he looks to find a new home for the stretch run.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors' interest in bolstering their frontcourt is no secret. They expressed strong interest in acquiring Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs, eventually losing out to the Toronto Raptors in those trade sweepstakes.
The rationale behind this interest isn't too difficult to understand. After years of defensive excellence, the Warriors' defensive rating has fallen off this season. Draymond Green is still a strong defensive presence, but he's getting up there in age; meanwhile, Andrew Wiggins has missed a lot of time due to injury/personal reasons. As a result, the Warriors have had to rely heavily on Kevon Looney to anchor the paint, with an uninspiring crew backing up the unheralded 27-year old big man.
To put in even greater perspective how much the Warriors need a solid interior presence, the Warriors have a -8.56 net rating without both Green and Looney on the floor (without Green, the Dubs allow a 118.4 defensive rating, which would rank worse than the Houston Rockets' second-worst defense).
The losses of Otto Porter Jr., Nemanja Bjelica, and Gary Payton II (who has since returned) have proven to have a huge effect as their departures have resulted in worse players playing a heavier role.
Thus, Nerlens Noel would give the Warriors (ranked 28th in rejections) a legitimate shot-blocker; while amassing blocks isn't necessarily a good indication of solid defense, Noel would provide the Warriors with a different kind of player not present in their current roster.
Philadelphia 76ers
Nerlens Noel was once a huge part of the Sixers' rebuilding efforts. In fact, he was one of the first fruits of the infamous “process”, drafted sixth overall by Philly during the 2013 NBA Draft. Thus, it'd be interesting if the Sixers decide to pursue a potential reunion with the 29-year old rim protector.
The Sixers' backup center crew, to say the least, has been underwhelming. Montrezl Harrell is no longer the Sixth Man of the Year-caliber player he once was, Paul Reed hasn't quite earned the trust of the coaching staff, and Dewayne Dedmon, who was waived by the Heat, looks cooked.
There are no guarantees that Nerlens Noel is a better player than those three at the moment, given Noel's limited game time thus far this season. But at the very least, he provides defensive upside that none of those three possess. The Sixers need only to tread water with Joel Embiid resting on the bench, and Noel, at his best, could give them a chance to do just that.
Dallas Mavericks
To say that the Mavs' interior defense has been shambolic would be an understatement. They allowed the Los Angeles Lakers to score 62 points in the paint during their latest matchup; in fact, the Mavs have allowed their opponents to score 60 or more points in the paint over their past five games, a worrying trend for a team that's had to deal with defensive problems throughout the 2022-23 campaign.
Head coach Jason Kidd could eschew defense as much as he wants. However, the reality is that it's hard to envision the Mavs, despite the presences of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, going deep into the playoffs without cobbling together a passable interior defense.
Adding Nerlens Noel may not be a catch-all panacea, but he should give the Mavs a rim protector who's mobile enough to keep up on the perimeter when he's at his best.
Follow Us
Subscribe