Tag: Nerlens Noel

2013 NBA draft rewind: Sixers trade Jrue Holiday to get Nerlens Noel

In the 2013 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers traded Jrue Holiday in order to acquire Nerlens Noel.

The Philadelphia 76ers entered the 2013 NBA draft in a tough spot. They had just finished a very disappointing 2012-13 season at 34-48 after swinging a huge blockbuster deal in the offseason to acquire Andrew Bynum.

The hope was that Bynum would team with Jrue Holiday and help the Sixers take the next step. Philadelphia was one win away from the Eastern Conference finals in 2012 as an No. 8 seed, and the Sixers hoped Bynum would help them get to that next level.

Instead, Bynum didn’t play a single game because of multiple knee injuries. Despite an All-Star season from Holiday, Philadelphia floundered.

On draft night, the Sixers pulled the trigger on a rebuild. They sent Holiday to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for the No. 6 pick, which they used on Nerlens Noel out of Kentucky. Noel missed all of the 2013-14 season due to a knee injury, but he played in 75 games in the 2014-15 season averaging 9.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.9 blocks.

Noel was also solid in the 2015-16 season averaging 11.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks. It looked like he could be an anchor for a very solid defensive team for a long time in Philadelphia.

However, once Joel Embiid became healthy for the 2016-17 season, Noel’s minutes and role diminished. He averaged only 19.4 minutes per game with the Sixers as Embiid began to dominate rather quickly. Philadelphia then sent him to the Dallas Mavericks at the deadline.

Noel has since played for the Oklahoma City Thunder and is with the New York Knicks. He helped the Knicks make the playoffs in 2021 and, when healthy, he has been a very solid defensive player everywhere he has been.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Nerlens Noel’s lawsuit against Rich Paul, explained

This is going to get messy.

Nerlens Noel signed a 3-year deal worth $27 million with the New York Knicks this offseason.

That’s a pretty solid deal. It’s good, mid-level money for a solid player who excels in his role. That’s exactly what Noel is in today’s NBA.

But there was a time when it seemed like there was a much bigger payday in store for the Knicks’ big. And that’s why Noel is suing Rich Paul and Klutch Sports, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports.

In a legal complaint filed against Paul, Noel is claiming he lost $58 million in potential salary because of a breach of duty and negligence from Klutch Sports.

This is a mess. Let’s make sense of it.

NBA agent Rich Paul refused to negotiate Nerlens Noel return to Sixers

NBA agent Rich Paul refused to negotiate with the Philadelphia 76ers on a Nerlens Noel reunion.

The Philadelphia 76ers had been searching for the right backup big man to Joel Embiid almost through the majority of his career in Philadelphia–at least they were able to bring in Dwight Howard and then recently, Andre Drummond.

They were hoping to bring back a former Sixers big man in the form of Nerlens Noel when Brett Brown was still the coach, but Noel’s agent at the time was Rich Paul who decided against it and he refused to negotiate with the team.

In a report by Darren Heitner, who is also a lawyer specializing in sports law, of Sports Agent Blog, Noel is suing Paul for interfering with his relationship with his previous agent, Happy Walters, as well as costing him a lot of potential earnings in his carer. There was an interesting nugget from the report that concerns the Sixers.

Heitner reports:

Noel allegedly learned from Brett Brown, who was coaching the Philadelphia 76ers at the time, that the 76ers front office had been trying to contact Paul to discuss a potential deal and that Paul refused to respond. This was purportedly the case with other team representatives who were reaching out as well.

Paul is a well-known agent who represents the likes of Sixers star Ben Simmons, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Trae Young, and Draymond Green so there is a possibility that he was mostly focusing on the big names he represents.

Noel now plays for the New York Knicks and he is a big part of what they do, but it would have been interesting to see him back in Philadelphia and backing up Embiid. He would have been a nice shot-blocking presence off their bench and helped the team on the defensive end.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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NBA free agency: Projected lineup for Knicks with Kemba Walker

The New York Knicks made a splash with a playoff appearance this past season and have continued to make noise with an active offseason.

The New York Knicks made a splash with a playoff appearance this past season and have continued to make noise with an active offseason.

During his first year as head coach of the Knicks, head coach Tom Thibodeau got the most out of his players. Julius Randle took a huge step forward, winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player. Meanwhile, Immanuel Quickley outperformed expectations and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second-Team.

The organization built on that success by re-signing Derrick Rose and Nerlens Noel. They have also managed to sign big names such as Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker, who were actually teammates on the Boston Celtics in 2020-21.

Statistically speaking, Walker’s play was elevated quite a bit once Fournier joined the Celtics. Boston outscored opponents by an excellent 14.8 points per 100 possessions when Walker and Fournier were on the floor at the same time during regular-season action, per PBP Stats. Boston’s net rating (1.1) was much worse when Walker appeared without Fournier.

Meanwhile, Walker averaged 27.0 points per 36 minutes when he shared the court with Fournier. Compare that figure to the 22.5 points per 36 minutes in minutes he played without Fournier this past season.

The two players can add some value to the momentum that the Knicks had en route to the 2021 NBA Playoffs. especially if players like Quickley and RJ Barrett continue their development.

NBA free agency: Projected lineup for Knicks with Kemba Walker

The New York Knicks made a splash with a playoff appearance this past season and have continued to make noise with an active offseason.

The New York Knicks made a splash with a playoff appearance this past season and have continued to make noise with an active offseason.

During his first year as head coach of the Knicks, head coach Tom Thibodeau got the most out of his players. Julius Randle took a huge step forward, winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player. Meanwhile, Immanuel Quickley outperformed expectations and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second-Team.

The organization built on that success by re-signing Derrick Rose and Nerlens Noel. They have also managed to sign big names such as Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker, who were actually teammates on the Boston Celtics in 2020-21.

Statistically speaking, Walker’s play was elevated quite a bit once Fournier joined the Celtics. Boston outscored opponents by an excellent 14.8 points per 100 possessions when Walker and Fournier were on the floor at the same time during regular-season action, per PBP Stats. Boston’s net rating (1.1) was much worse when Walker appeared without Fournier.

Meanwhile, Walker averaged 27.0 points per 36 minutes when he shared the court with Fournier. Compare that figure to the 22.5 points per 36 minutes in minutes he played without Fournier this past season.

The two players can add some value to the momentum that the Knicks had en route to the 2021 NBA Playoffs. especially if players like Quickley and RJ Barrett continue their development.

Sixers draft in review: Jrue Holiday gets traded for 6th pick, Nerlens Noel

We look back at the 2013 NBA draft when the Philadelphia 76ers traded for Nerlens Noel.

As the Philadelphia 76ers prepare for the 2021 NBA draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on July 29, we look back on past drafts.

The Sixers entered the 2013 NBA draft looking to bounce back from a poor 2012-13 season. There were high expectations, but the trade for Andrew Bynum was a failure, and Philadelphia was stuck in limbo.

They were bad, but not quite bad enough to grab a top pick. The Sixers had the 11th pick in the draft, which turned out to be Michael Carter-Williams, and new general manager Sam Hinkie wanted to kick start a robust rebuilding process.

Hinkie made a big deal, trading Jrue Holiday to the New Orleans Pelicans for the sixth pick, which turned out to be big man Nerlens Noel. The Kentucky center would have been the No. 1 pick if not for injuries, and he missed the entire 2013-14 season due to a knee injury.

Noel made his debut in the 2014-15 season. He averaged 9.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.9 blocks as he showed off a very good defensive acumen. He averaged 11.1 points in his second season, but then Joel Embiid stepped onto the floor in the 2016-17 season, and the Sixers moved Noel to the Dallas Mavericks in a trade at the deadline.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOiXeBC3DLQ

Noel has since morphed into a defensive stalwart for teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder and the New York Knicks. He mostly came off the bench for the Thunder, but he started for the Knicks in the 2020-21 season in place of the injured Mitchell Robinson and made a big impact there.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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3 big men for the Charlotte Hornets to target in the offseason

With the Hornets in search of a center, a number of names could be intriguing for the team heading into an important offseason.

It’s not secret that the Charlotte Hornets will enter the offseason with a hole to fill at the center position. A year of struggling to fill the position through the likes of Cody Zeller, Bismack Biyombo, rookie Vernon Carey and P.J. Washington as a small ball option, Charlotte heads into the summer with assets and cap space to find a solution at the position.

With so many options, the pool of players available to address the Hornets needs is enormous and will need some whittling down, something the front office has surely spent the weeks after and even during the season addressing.

Taking that into account, here are three names via trade and free agency that should be high on the Hornets list this offseason. Also, hat tip to James Plowright from At The Hive who put together an extensive list of both free agent and trade targets.

Nerlens Noel agrees to one-year, $5 million deal with New York Knicks

In a rare occurrence, the Thunder are losing one of the members of its 2019-20 team without compensation.

After two seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Nerlens Noel has agreed to terms with the New York Knicks and will sign a one-year deal worth $5 million.

Nerlens’ departure from Oklahoma City is the latest move for the Thunder as the franchise continues to reinvent itself following the trades of Chris Paul, Dennis Schroder and Steven Adams, among others.

Unlike the aforementioned three, however, the Thunder aren’t receiving any compensation for Noel, who is expected to sign with the Knicks as a free agent. That was also the case for veteran sharpshooter Danilo Gallinari, who signed with the Atlanta Hawks as the franchise has seemingly prioritized trying to make a run to the playoffs next season.

The news of Noel’s departure was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

After seven seasons in the NBA, Noel brings per-game averages of eight points and 6.2 rebounds with him to New York.

Sixers 2020 free agency guide: Nerlens Noel return makes a lot of sense

Nerlens Noel makes a ton of sense for the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.

Free agency is set to begin in the NBA on Friday at 6:00 p.m. EST and for the Philadelphia 76ers, it is time to add some pieces to their already improved roster.

In the past, the focus in free agency was to go after a guard who can shoot the ball and can be a playmaker. However, after the big trades to acquire Danny Green and Seth Curry as well as the draft picks of Tyrese Maxey and Isaiah Joe, their attention now should be focused on finding a suitable backup for Joel Embiid.

Presently, the team does have some faith in Paul Reed who fell into their laps at 58 on Wednesday, but in reality, they should bring in a guy who is proven to provide backup minutes. They will need to find somebody cheap too as they still only have roughly $6 million to spend.

One option who has been floating around is former Sixers big man Nerlens Noel. He spent the first 2.5 seasons of his career with Philadelphia before being sent to the Dallas Mavericks and he has spent the previous two seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Athletic’s John Hollinger has placed Noel in the $6.5 million salary range, but he also had this to say which makes it seem that maybe he can fit Philadelphia’s price range:

Noel may have trouble getting to this number because of perceptions about his commitment level, but he was really good in OKC this year. In the playoffs against Houston, he showed himself to be far more switchable and versatile against the Rockets’ unique schemes than starter Steven Adams.

While Noel’s overall offensive limitations are pretty severe — the dunk is basically his only shot — he easily could play a more prominent role in a switch-heavy scheme that needs a rim-runner. He’s also 26, so a two-year deal would guarantee a team the sweet spot of his career.

As mentioned, Noel’s offensive game is limited to being the roll man in a pick-and-roll game, but his defensive acumen is something to behold. In those minutes when Embiid goes to the bench, Noel can come in and use his defensive versatility and his rim protection skills to keep the team afloat. The team has a tendency to fall apart on defense in the minutes Embiid doesn’t play so Noel can fill that role for cheap while also providing hustle baskets on offense that can spark a team. [lawrence-related id=39331,39328,39325]

Sixers pick of big man Jahlil Okafor ranked as biggest draft flop of 2015

The Philadelphia 76erss selection of Jahlil Okafor has been named the biggest draft flop of 2015.

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In every NBA draft, there are always a few picks who can be labeled as flops or busts or whatever terminology one would like to use. The Philadelphia 76ers made one of those questionable moves in 2015 when they had the number 3 pick in that draft.

At the time, the Sixers already had big man Joel Embiid who they selected in 2014 and they also had Nerlens Noel from the 2013 draft. With their 2015 selection, they decided to go with Duke’s Jahlil Okafor who fashioned himself a fine season with the Blue Devils. He averaged 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds in college.

The pick came with a ton of scrutiny as they were criticized for selecting yet another big man, especially in the middle of a massive rebuild when they had other needs, but hindsight is also 20-20. Okafor was the best player on the board, Embiid had not yet played and Noel showed promise on the defensive end, but had yet to show anything on the offensive end.

Bleacher Report put together a list of the biggest draft flops over the years and Okafor came in as the number 1 flop of 2015:

Adding a lumbering big who didn’t project to space the floor or anchor a defense should’ve been deemed dangerous regardless of roster context. The league was moving in the complete opposite direction. Burning another top selection on a third center made the optics worse, particularly when the Sixers didn’t immediately move any of them. They couldn’t play together, and it created an aura of combustibility to an already-flammable situation.

Okafor had a solid rookie season averaging a robust 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds. However, Embiid finally made his debut and he proved to be worth the hype. Okafor’s minutes dropped from 30 to 22.7 in his second season and he was then shipped to the Brooklyn Nets in his third season along with Nik Stauskas for Trevor Booker.

He now plays for the New Orleans Pelicans as he has seemed to have found a role as a backup big man. His style of play is not quite suited for today’s era of run and gun basketball, but he does enough to have a niche in New Orleans. [lawrence-related id=38770,38755,38752]