The latest NBA trade rumors say the Philadelphia 76ers have reportedly dealt Nerlens Noel to the Dallas Mavericks for center Andrew Bogut, guard Justin Anderson and a protected first-round draft pick.
The Philadelphia 76ers have made the first move on deadline day, dealing center Nerlens Noel to the Dallas Mavericks.
According to a report by Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Mavericks will send Justin Anderson, Andrew Bogut and a conditional first-round draft pick to the Sixers.
Noel, the No. 6 pick in the 2014 draft, is the lone asset going to Dallas, per the report.
Philadelphia is sending Nerlens Noel to Dallas for Justin Anderson and a first-round draft pick, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 23, 2017
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the conditional first-rounder is protected in June’s 2017 NBA Draft.
Andrew Bogut is in the trade to Philadelphia and Dallas' pick is protected 1-to-18 in the June draft, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 23, 2017
The pick likely won’t convey until at least 2018 for the Sixers with the No. 1-18 protection.
Related Story: 25 Best Players to Play for the Philadelphia 76ers
The deal comes as a surprise to many around the league, who expected the Sixers to deal second year center Jahlil Okafor at the deadline and keep Noel.
More from Hoops Habit
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
- NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers
Noel will be a restricted free agent this summer and the Mavericks will reportedly work to ink him to a long-term deal.
It remains unclear if the Sixers feared committing long term to Noel, or if this was simply an opportunity to get the best value they could find and clear their big man logjam.
Anderson, a second-year player from Virginia, will fit in well with the Sixers. His defense fits Brett Brown’s defensive scheme and it will be interesting to see how his numbers extrapolate playing more significant minutes for the Sixers.
Anderson is averaging 6.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game this season for the Mavericks in 13.9 minutes per game.
It remains to be seen if the Sixers will keep the veteran Bogut, waive him or try to turn around and flip him ahead of the 3 p.m. EST trade deadline.
Next: 2017 NBA Trade Deadline: Grades For All 30 Teams
With Joel Embiid, Okafor, Richaun Holmes and Tiago Splitter on the Sixers’ roster at the moment, something has to give.