Nerlens Noel wants a trade

[spreedom]

If only we had the option to get him for Simba, provided we included the right to swap future 2nd-round picks.

But seriously... if Nerlens was healthy (and I understand anyone having trepidation about this) he has the potential to be the best defensive center in the league for the next decade. Do you guys remember the commentary team mentioning the other night that Matrix and David Robinson are the only guys ever to end a season in the top 5 for rebounds and steals? Nerlens could be the third. Give him 33-35mpg... his career per-36 numbers are 12/10/2/2/2 on 50% shooting. Get him in a stable organization with an elite coach and you might have just found 23-year-old Tyson Chandler.

Again, an argument can be made that he might never be healthy, but with the way things have gone for us since winning the title, I'm all over trades for guys with this kind of potential.

I'd be willing to trade a top-5 or so protected first-rounder, plus Simba and Powell (provided he actually has positive value). Get his RFA rights if all you have to do is trade Simba and the 6th or 8th overall pick. Let's not act like lottery picks are sure things. Hell, see if the Sixers want Wes' veteran leadership too. Let's go nuts.

[Bryan_Wilson]

Originally Posted by spreedom

Get his RFA rights if all you have to do is trade Simba and the 6th or 8th overall pick. Let's not act like lottery picks are sure things.

A top 6-8 pick in what is expected to be a great class AND our most recent 1st rounder just for Noel's rights?!?!?!? Hard pass would be an understatement. Lotto picks are not sure things but Noel isn't either. His health isn't, his offensive game for sure isn't. And while he is a good defender his rebounding is maybe average when he was healthy last year. Whiteside is literally almost double the rebounder Noel was last year. A guy who rebounds low as a defensive center with extremely limited offense in the final year of his rookie deal is not remotely worth a top 8 pick, especially in this draft.

[Bryan_Wilson]

To put it another way, He was the 6th pick... in a draft class that was extremely weak. That's not hindsight, it was called very weak before the draft. Speculated to be one of the weakest possibly ever but certainly in the last 10-15 years. It's been 3 years going on 4 since then. His value has gone down since he hasn't shown he can stay healthy and his improvement has been marginal. So trading a top 6-8 pick in one of the best drafts(heading in at least) for a former 6th in one of the weakest ones, whose value is also down(and 1 year left on rookie deal). Then throwing in simba as well... Little to no sense to me.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by Bryan_Wilson

A top 6-8 pick in what is expected to be a great class AND our most recent 1st rounder just for Noel's rights?!?!?!? Hard pass

Like a kidney stone.

You can't trade a top pick in a loaded draft for a 1-year rental who's going to ditch us for a contender as soon as he gets the chance... A move like that made sense a few years ago, but not now. We need long-term assets to build around.