Nerlens Noel has yet to play this season, and he apparently won’t be upset if his last game as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers is already behind him.
From ESPN.com’s Marc Stein:
Nothing has changed here. Noel has yet to appear in a game this season after electing to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery last month, but word is he’d still prefer to be shipped to a new address with so many big men to battle for playing time in Philly. Count on the Sixers to accommodate him eventually.
This isn’t really huge news. We knew Noel was unhappy with the Sixers’ big man situation before he needed arthroscopic surgery that has thus far prevented him from playing. And we also knew that Philly is more likely to move him than any of its other bigs—specifically Jahlil Okafor.
Even now, with an injury history that dates back to him missing his rookie season while recovering from a torn ACL, Noel has more value than Okafor. He isn’t much of an offensive threat, but you can see the outline of a good pick-and-roll diver on a team with above-average spacing on the offensive end.
Besides, Noel is already a strong defensive asset. He is a good-to-great rim protector, has quick hands for a center and can survive when switching onto to smaller, more crafty players.
What remains unclear is whether Noel’s contract situation helps or hurts his value. He is set for restricted free agency this summer, so any team that trades him must do so knowing he’s up for a big raise. But said team would also have the right to match any contract he receives, so he really isn’t a flight risk, and the logjam in Philly has likely removed him from max-deal consideration.
Whatever Noel’s value is now, bet on the Sixers trying to increae it. Multiple reports have him progressing toward a return to the team in the not-too-distant future, and if his recovery goes off without a hitch, it gives Philly some leverage in negotiations—albeit not too much, since the whole world knows they have a bajillion bigs and need to trade at least one.
