The Nerlens Noel saga continues.
Okay, to be honest, it’s not really a saga. The Philadelphia 76ers just have too many damn bigs and need to move one. Jahlil Okafor is the easy pick, but interest must not have been high on him in recent months, otherwise he’d be gone already.
Dealing Nerlens Noel is the next best option for Philly. He really shouldn’t be playing power forward alongside Joel Embiid or Okafor, and he’ll be a restricted free agent at season’s end, barring an extension, demanding the the Sixers invest more money into their logjam. Thing is, if the team could pick, it would definitely be Okafor that hits the bricks. But Noel, for his part, would apparently welcome a trade.
From CSNNE.com’s A. Sherrod Blakely:
Noel has not asked for a trade, but multiple league sources told CSNNE.com that he is “very open” to being traded if the Sixers decide to make that decision.
Another league source contacted by CSNNE.com on Thursday morning indicated that the Celtics still have a high level of interest in Noel but no deal is imminent.
It’s wholly believable that Nerlens Noel would be looking for a way out of Philly at this point. Never mind the losing. He is part of an epically uneven frontcourt logjam. That won’t do wonders for his restricted free agent value.
Oh, and then there’s this:
Nerlens Noel has…
1. Sent a Tweet about loving Boston.
2. Removed profile picture in Sixers jersey.
3. Removed header of Philly skyline.
— Maxwell Ogden (@MaxwellOgden) August 11, 2016
The Boston Celtics would be an interesting fit for Noel at this point, but not the perfect one. Al Horford can play beside him, at power forward, but he’s best suited at the 5. Noel may also become a rental in Boston, assuming the Celtics aren’t willing to invest upwards of $200 million over the next four years (after next season) in a Noel-Horford frontcourt. And if they view him as a rental, the Sixers cannot expect to receive anyone or anything of immense value in return for his services.
Basically, this whole thing is far from over. Stay tuned.
