NBA Trade Rumors: Nerlens Noel To Portland Trail Blazers?
NBA trade rumors about a deal sending Nerlens Noel to the Portland Trail Blazers are piquing interest. The NBA season has just begun, but that hasn’t stopped trade rumors from surrounding two teams that have started out the year very slowly. The Philadelphia 76ers are struggling out of the gate again, which suggests the team could look to make a move or two involving one or more of the big men under contract. A report from Blazers Edge has placed more light on the situation, with the real possibility of the Blazers having a chance to acquire Noel.
Basketball analyst Eric Griffith took a deep look at whether a trade would work for both teams, weighing the possibility that the 76ers may ask for too much and how badly the Blazers need to do something to improve on the defensive end of the floor. This isn’t the first time that NBA trade rumors have included Nerlens Noel, with that prospect being pushed more in recent months due to the logjam at power forward and center that the team has on its current roster.
“The Blazers’ inherent defensive limitations have been much publicized; Even if Al-Farouq Aminu and Moe Harkless re-find their continuity from last season, the Blazers will still need an elite rim-protecting center to make up for the limitations of CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard.”
So, would it be realistic for Blazers fans to expect the sort of deal that could lead to acquiring Noel? Nelens Noel will become an unrestricted free agent during the NBA offseason, meaning the Philadelphia 76ers would lose him for nothing if Noel is keen on signing with another team. This is both good news and bad news for the Portland Trail Blazers. The good news is that it could lessen Noel’s trade value, but the bad news is that he would not be under team control for very long. While an extension could be worked out, the Blazers would be taking a risk.
Noel is under contract for about $4.4 million this year, marking the fourth season that he has been with the 76ers. Noel was the sixth overall selection in the 2013 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Hornets, but he was traded to the 76ers later in the summer for Jrue Holiday, Pierre Jackson, and a first-round pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. That pick ended up being Elfrid Payton.
Noel missed his first NBA season due to injury, meaning he didn’t step on the court until the 2014-15 NBA season. He averaged 9.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game during his rookie campaign. During the 2015-16 NBA season, Noel averaged 11.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. He has been very good on defense but has only averaged 30.1 minutes per game during his first two years in the league.
The name that has been linked to these latest NBA trade rumors is Allen Crabbe, as he is a player who could be a long-term option for the 76ers while providing offense and perimeter defense. Crabbe just signed a four-year contract extension with the Blazers during the NBA offseason, with his salary coming in at $18.5 million to start out. That would be an expensive contract for the 76ers to absorb, but the team could add other players to the deal to make the money work.
In five games (off the bench), Allen Crabbe has averaged 11.2 points per game on 50 percent shooting. He is a career 38.7 percent shooter from three-point range and has also been very good from the free throw line. Would the Blazers be able to find offense to replace losing a player like Crabbe though?
Neither the Portland Trail Blazers nor the Philadelphia 76ers currently holds a playoff spot in their respective conferences. Both teams have some weak components that need to be addressed before the season progresses too far, suggesting a deal might just work. Despite various NBA trade rumors about a deal working, there has been no confirmation that the 76ers would deal Nerlens Noel or that the Blazers are ready to part with Allen Crabbe.
[Featured Image Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images]
