Philadelphia 76ers: 5 Potential Landing Spots for Nerlens Noel

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Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports /

Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers have been at the forefront of the conversation here quite a bit as well, with a number of rumors linking Noel to Portland. The Trail Blazers haven’t been quite as impressive as some expected heading into the season, but still are in solid positioning from a playoffs perspective, wielding a 12-10 record, good for 8th in the Western Conference.

While Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum have established themselves as one of the more talented backcourts in the NBA, there’s still considerable room for the Blazers to grow on other fronts. Their frontcourt is still somewhat lackluster with Mason Plumlee and Meyers Leonard carrying the load at the five, and Festus Ezeli still has no timetable for his Portland debut after a bone marrow injection.

That’s where a player of Noel’s caliber could have it’s appeal. Plumlee and Leonard aren’t inept rim protectors by any means, but don’t offer the most intimidating defensive presence underneath. Their power forward core is also made up of rather versatile players among the likes of Ed Davis and Noah Vonleh, and could benefit from the additional stature that Noel brings to the table.

For a team that relies so heavily on their backcourt, their lack of consistency elsewhere has been a noticeable hindrance this season. With neither Lillard nor McCollum being particularly great defenders in their own right, it’s imperative to have the sort of fall back option at the basket that Noel can provide on a nightly basis.

The Trail Blazers are still a young team in most respects, and could provide Noel with a fairly extensive role early on. While neither Plumlee nor Leonard are poor enough to simply dump out of the rotation, Noel’s defensive prowess is more than enough to establish him as a primary facet in that rotation. Leonard is also an apt floor spacer, meaning he could theoretically share the floor with the likes of Noel.

This is a Blazers team that is in need of a spark plug to help revitalize a somewhat iffy start to the season, and bringing in a high energy defender like Noel could do that. They have the pieces to put a really strong defensive unit around their backcourt–namely Al-Farouq Aminu and Evan Turner–but must go out an actively seek those opporunities out.

Assuming they’ve been in contact with Philadelphia like some reports seem to suggest, that could very well be what they’re doing.

What Could Move

The Sixers’ most compelling trade piece here would be, without much question, Allen Crabbe. After signing a 4 year, $75 million offer sheet this offseason, Crabbe has still found himself wedged behind the Blazers’ star guards for the most part this season. While he’s still averaging 9.5 points per game in 28 minutes, there would likely be more ample opportunity to seek out his own offense in Philadelphia.

Other young, less prominent guards–such as Shabazz Napier or Tim Quarterman–could also be discussed as potential add-ons in an eventual trade.

Potential Trade Scenario

Philadelphia 76ers receive: SG Allen Crabbe, SF Jake Layman, PG Shabazz Napier

Portland Trail Blazers receive: C Nerlens Noel

It’s still tough for even me to judge Crabbe and Noel’s value at this point, so this is once again a very primitive outline of what a deal could feasibly look like. The Blazers would obviously recieve Noel while Crabbe gives the Sixers the obvious benefits of an up-and-coming outside scorer.

Something worth noting here is that Crabbe isn’t eligible for trade yet, so this one couldn’t happen until the deadline draws nearer.

Crabbe’s $18 million per year price tag is certainly hefty, but with the rising cap space and the wealth of money the Sixers have at their dispense, it’s one that could be worth it. Crabbe has the upside of a 20-point scorer if given the right role within an offense, and has shown plenty of flashes to sustain that kind of prospective value moving forwards.

He’s also an improving athlete on the defensive end, and could mesh nicely with the Sixers’ current core in that respect.

Crabbe’s ability to create his own offense and find his niche within an offensive scheme has made tremendous improvement over the past season, and Philadelphia could give him the opportunity to take the next step in his development. The Sixers need long term relief on the perimeter, and Crabbe gives them a viable option for a contract that could become more reasonable as time transpires.

Layman gives the Sixers some relief at both the power forward spot–potentially–and on the wing. He’s a nice second round prospect to develop towards the end of the rotation. He’s an excellent athlete at 6-9, and was the ultimate role player at Maryland, executing at a high level within the scheme that was in place. He could be expected to find similar success off the bench in the NBA.