After having a forgettable season in Dallas, Nerlens Noel gets a new home and fresh start with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
According to Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports, the Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed to sign Nerlens Noel to two-year contract, with the second year being a player option. NBA.com’s David Aldridge reports that the deal is for the veteran minimum.
All-Stars Russell Westbrook and Paul George both contacted Noel beforehand. Similar to George, who signed a four-year, $137 million deal at the start of free agency, he chose to go to the Thunder rather than the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Philadelphia 76ers drafted Noel with the sixth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. After a solid rookie year, he lost minutes the following three seasons with centers Jahlil Okafor and Joel Embiid joining the team, and was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in February of 2017.
Last summer, Dallas offered him a four-year, $70 million contract, which he turned down. He bet on himself to perform in the 2017-18 season and get rewarded with a max-level contract.
Instead, Noel failed to assert himself as the Mavericks’ starting center of the future. He appeared in only 30 games, starting six and playing just 15.7 minutes per game. He averaged a career-low 4.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
What made matters worse were his maturity issues. The 24-year-old got suspended five games for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy, all but ruining any chance of him re-signing with Dallas after an injury-riddled year.
In Oklahoma City, Noel will come off the bench. He’ll back up center Steven Adams, with the hopes of bringing energy to second unit.
He doesn’t have jump shot, and doesn’t shoot any 3-pointers. Most of Noel’s attempts come in the form of layups and dunks in the restricted area. His free throw shooting doesn’t affect his ability to stay on the floor like it does other big men, however, as shoots around the 70 percent mark.
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The 6’11” center’s biggest strength and most likely benefit for the Thunder will be his defensive presence. Noel forces turnovers and sends back shot after shot. He’s also more agile than most bigs, and can keep up with and cover multiple positions.
The Thunder took a hit defensively after they lost Andre Roberson for the season. Roberson suffered a ruptured left patellar tendon, and may not be the same on defense when he returns. With that in mind, adding a versatile defender in Noel is a nice boost.
With consistent minutes and proper coaching, Noel can become a double-double machine. Although he won’t be able to stretch the floor, he can provide energy off the bench or step in for Adams in case of an injury. His deal is also on the veteran minimum, which limits the growth of the Thunder’s historic luxury tax bill.
Noel will probably opt out of the second year to try and sign for more money. This means that if his play hurts the team or he displays more issues in his behavior, the Thunder won’t have to worry about him beyond this season. He’s a low-risk, high-reward investment for Sam Presti and company.
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Grade: B+