NBA: 10 relative unknowns entering defining seasons in 2017-18

2. Nerlens Noel

It’s ironic, but Suns fans who lamented about not drafting Nerlens Noel back in 2013 should note this similarly injury-prone center is in the same place as Alex Len: fighting to prove his worth while playing the 2017-18 season on a $4.2 million qualifying offer.

The difference? Noel was reportedly offered a massive four-year, $70 million deal by the Dallas Mavericks and turned it down — for God only knows what reason — in a market that quickly dried up. Noel will have a better chance than Len of securing a decent contract next summer, but even as an unrestricted free agent, he likely already missed the money train.

Related Story: 10 candidates for breakout seasons in 2017-18

In any case, Noel’s injury-proneness and lack of progress over the last few years have made it hard to determine what the Sixers and now Mavs have been working with. As a potential future Defensive Player of the Year, it was only back in 2015-16 when Noel put up an eye-popping 11.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.

Unfortunately, he was moved by the Sixers last year, he can’t spread the floor as a 4, he can only play the 5 and he’s missed a grand total of 53 games in his three-year career — not including another 82 if you include what should’ve been his rookie season.

Noel could be the franchise center the Mavs are looking for, or he could be another sad, injury-plagued story. The 2017-18 season should provide clarity on the issue, especially for a player betting on himself with a one-year qualifying offer.