The Dallas Mavericks could be reuniting with an old player with reports that the team has discussed a potential Nerlens Noel trade.
It will be recalled that the sixth overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft previously suited up for the Mavs during the 2017-18 NBA season.
However, the 28-year-old found himself on the go, playing for teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks and presently the Detroit Pistons.
Dallas has a big hole in the middle, something that they thought would be plugged by JaVale McGee and Christian Wood. Unfortunately, that has now worked out so far and now it appears the Mavs are checking on other names that could be possibly acquired.
According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, there is growing interest in the 6-foot-10 center across the league.
Dallas is a player that carries a cost-friendly contract, set to make $9.2 million this 2022-23 season. He also has a team option for next year worth $9.7 million.
Hence, reuniting with Noel could make sense since there would be no long-term commitment tied to a potential deal. Dallas would get a strong rebounder and rim protector and give up a second-round pick and other assets to match salary requirements.
Ironically, the Mavericks dangled a long-term extension to Noel in 2018. However, the Massachusetts native turned that down and opted for something bigger in free agency then.
The Dallas Mavericks are in the sixth spot of the Western Conference with a 13-11 win-loss record as of this writing. Noel could be of help although questions remain on whether he is the ideal center upgrade that Dallas is looking for.
This season, Noel has played in six games averaging only 1.8 points and 3.2 rebounds for the Pistons. He holds career averages of 7.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 456 games thus far.
His best season was in his sophomore year with the Philadelphia 76ers where he normed 11.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks in 67 regular season games.
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