Is Nerlens Noel On His Way Out?
Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
After a rather disappointingly inactive summer, it appears that the Philadelphia 76ers could be ready to ring in the new season, with a bang.
It's no secret that the Sixers have an abundance of big men. To be exact, they have five starting-caliber bigs in Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor, Dario Saric, Ben Simmons, and Nerlens Noel. Also not a secret, is the Sixers desire to move one of those players. In fact, on June 28, GM Bryan Colangelo went as far as saying that he was looking to bring in "better players right now via free agency, via trade conversations that we’re having." On June 27, coach Brett Brown said that he'd be "surprised," if the team didn't trade a big before the season began. It's not immediately clear who would be the odd man out, but public opinion has pinpointed either Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor. For weeks, the rumors were almost all-in on Okafor being the man dealt. One day he was going to Minnesota, the next day it was Phoenix. Above all though, the Boston Celtics were the team most frequently associated in trade talks with the Sixers. Trade talks haven't been as hot since the NBA Draft back in late-June, but it appears that things could be on the verge of heating back up.
Nerlens Noel has been the subject of many summertime trade rumors, although not nearly as frequently as Jahlil Okafor. That may change though, and soon, as it looks like Noel could be bracing himself for a trade. Late last night, Noel sparked a bevy of debates among Sixers fans, after posting the following tweet.
I'm blessed to be from Boston. Love my city.
— Nerlens Noel (@NerlensNoel3) August 11, 2016
There's going to be some that say "oh, this means nothing!" To a point, I'll agree. Noel is a Boston native, and he's got the freedom to be able to pledge his love for his hometown. However, it's interesting to note that this is his first tweet in a little more than two months. It also appears to be the first time that he's made that sort of statement regarding Boston. Although, that's just the tip of the iceberg in this whole "cryptic" situation. You may also notice that Noel's profile picture is blacked out. It's unclear when it happened, but Noel blacked out his profile picture last night. He also removed his header picture, of the Philadelphia skyline. Surely, something has to be going on, right
Immediately, one would assume that Noel could be heading to the Boston Celtics in a potential trade. Having knowledge of the NBA's rules, Noel's actions come at an extremely interesting time. For those unfamiliar with the NBA, let's have a little lesson. When rookies sign their first contract, the NBA initiates a 30-day waiting period before the rookie in question can be moved via a trade. Just because the NBA has that waiting period, it doesn't mean that a trade can't happen. The perfect example of this was the Kevin Love trade back in 2014. It was all but a foregone conclusion that Love was heading to Cleveland, although nothing could be made official until 30-days after #1 pick Andrew Wiggins signed his rookie deal.
In the Sixers case, it's not far-fetched to believe that they could be waiting for Celtics third-overall pick Jaylen Brown to become available. Could the Sixers be interested in the former Cal Golden Bear? It's not difficult to imagine Colangelo pursuing Brown, as he has been praised by scouts for his incredible basketball I.Q, and his incredible athleticism, among other aspects of his game. With the Sixers currently having Robert Covington lined up at small forward, making a deal for Brown becomes all the more realistic of a possibility. It's important to note that Brown's 30-day window comes to an end on August 27.
Now, it's important to remember that this is far from a guarantee. But, the Celtics have been linked to the Sixers many times over the course of the summer. Granted, most of those talks were allegedly for Jahlil Okafor, but a recent report by CSN New England states the Celtics "still have a high level of interest" in Noel, although the report goes on to note that no deal is imminent. That same report from CSNNE also notes that leagues sources have said that Noel is "very open" to the prospect of a trade.
[Noel 'very open' to trade, and Celtics reportedly are interested]For his part, Noel has been excellent through his first two seasons. He was never expected to be an offensive stud, but he has lived up to the hype of a defensive juggernaut. Through two seasons, Noel has averaged 10.5 points per game, as well as 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.8 steals per game. Those last two stats are especially interesting, as no other player in NBA history has ever matched Noel's averages in the blocks and steals departments through their first two seasons. Among qualified two-year veterans, Noel comes in second all-time in Defensive Box Plus-Minus, behind only David Robinson.
This isn't the first time that the Sixers name has come up in the rumor mill, and I'm certain it won't be the last. However, this is the first time that there could be some sort of validity to it. Could Nerlens Noel be headed home? Is this one of many moves on the Sixers horizon? None of these questions can be answered yet, but we'll likely have answer by the time the season begins in October.
