5 Potential Landing Spots for Nerlens Noel
San Antonio Spurs
This may be a bit for a pipe dream than the other teams mentioned thus far, but Noel’s fit with the Spurs is undeniably clear. San Antonio boasts what is likely the best player development record in the NBA, and their lack of long term depth behind Pau Gasol at the five spot leaves a clear path for Noel long term.
If Noel truly wants to be on a winning team, it’s tough to argue a better scenario for him outside of Golden State. He’d be immediately placed into a system that has proven each and every season under Gregg Popovich that is can maximize the production of it’s individuals throughout the roster. He’d be put into a position to succeed in a way he never was with the Sixers, and could feasibly take the next step from a career perspective under that organization’s guidance.
Are the Spurs looking to trade at this point? Likely not, but there’s still some sense in looking at the possibility. Outside of Kawhi Leonard, there’s no overwhelming certainty with their roster long term. Even LaMarcus Aldridge has had his fair share of speculation regarding whether or not he was locked in as a long-term cornerstone, which culminated during the offseason and died off since.
Tim Duncan was one of the league’s most effective defensive big men, and that’s the type of pedigree moving forward that Noel could help uphold. There’s no reasonable path towards Noel becoming remotely close to Duncan’s caliber as a player, but his prowess as a defender around the basket is already among the best in the NBA.
He has stellar instincts at the rim, and has shown he can produce both blocked shots and turnovers at a high clip as a result. Excellent athleticism with the instinctual nature that Noel possesses on the defensive end is something that could blossom in San Antonio, and the Spurs–at some point–are going to need to search out more options moving forward.
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The personnel also meshes really well with Noel on paper, which is essential for a team that derives so much of its success off of on-court chemistry. Noel would be a nice inteior presence to throw into the mix alongside a handful of big men who can shoot in Gasol and Aldridge, while the rest of the rotation is also geared towards ball movement and perimeter scoring.
The Spurs’ second unit is littered with outside shooting, and that opens up space for Noel to get baskets at the rim in pick-and-roll situations and carve out more offensive production that we have seen in Philadelphia over the past few seasons.
What Could Move
Where the Spurs go for trade is a bit of a predicament, but they do have a handful of prospects stashed up that could, in theory, go towards grabbing a turnkey piece like Noel moving forwards. Guys like Kyle Anderson and Dejounte Murray come to mind as potential candidates in that regard, while even a Jonathan Simmons or Patty Mills-type player could be viewed as worth the split. Danny Green, even, would be a name that could come up in the conversation.
Potential Trade Scenario
Philadelphia 76ers receive: SG Danny Green, SG Jonathon Simmons, PG Dejounte Murray, 2017 1st Round Pick
San Antonio Spurs receive: C Nerlens Noel, SF Robert Covington
This seems like a loaded trade group and one that could lean a bit unfairly towards one side or the other depending on your perspective–but it could work out well for both sides.
The Spurs get the obvious benefits of Noel, which have been lauded throughout this section. He’s an elite young rim protector who gives them a solid centerpiece alongside LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard moving forward, and negating some of the post-Gasol worries that may be arising at this point.
Outside of that, Covington–despite his struggles–has proven his value as a defensive stopper on the wing, and could certainly find a spark being moved to a franchise like San Antonio. He hasn’t been the consistent shooter many expected this season, but moving from a league-worse team to a Popovich-led unit could certainly help him iron out some of his early-season disappointments.
The Sixers, on the other hand, get a really nice return here as well. Danny Green hasn’t had the best of seasons thus far, but has more than proven his worth as a perimeter spacer. He’s someone who could be plugged in on the wing–either as a starter or a sixth man–and immediately improve the already-better perimeter spacing in Brett Brown’s rotation.
Simmons, while still operating in a limited role, has been impressive in reserve for the Spurs this season. He’s an excellent perimeter defender who could easily fill the void that Covington leaves at the small forward spot from that perspective, and could give them an offensive boost off the bench to boot. He’s a phenomenal athlete, and a nice story as well. If the Sixers could add him and Green in the same trade, it’s difficult not to dub this a win.
Murray is somewhat of a wildcard here, but he would be asked to fill in the backcup point guard spot if Jerryd Bayless‘ injury problems continue to drag on. He was picked 29th in the draft–far below where most big boards had him–but is still considered more of a long term project.
His smooth scoring in the lane and excellent athletic tools (6-5 with a long wingspan) are certainly appealing though, and something a rebuilding Sixers squad could feasibly invest some time in given his upside. He’s a much more talented scorer than McConnell, and has the decisive passing skills to develop into a quality playmaker in time. He’ll experience his fair share of growing pains, but is a massive bump in the right direction compared to McConnell long term.