Dallas Mavericks Win Trade For Nerlens Noel With Ease
For an incredibly small price, the Mavericks were able to land one of the best young players with potential they’ve had in some time.
We didn’t have to wait until NBA trade deadline day to see the New Orleans Pelicans fleece the Sacramento Kings and pair Anthony Davis with DeMarcus Cousins. It’s one of the most startling, one-sided trades we’ve seen in years, but we didn’t have to wait long to see another robbery (albeit a far smaller one).
To really get things going before the deadline buzzer sounds, the Dallas Mavericks have made a smart play in a trade for Nerlens Noel, only sending sophomore small forward Justin Anderson, Andrew Bogut, and a 2017 first-round pick (protected 1–18) to the Philadelphia 76ers in return. By all accounts now that Noel is gone, there’s a greater chance of Jahlil Okafor staying put.
If the 76ers had truly landed a first in return for Noel, this trade would look better for them. Unfortunately, there’s no real chance that selection will ever find its way into their hands. The Mavs currently have the 20th-best record in the NBA at 20–31 (a 39.2 win percentage), and they won’t emerge as one of the league’s 12 best teams any time soon to lower their pick enough, despite their improvement since the start of 2017 (they’re actually the sixth-ranked team in defensive rating in this time, so credit as always to the genius of Rick Carlisle).
To make matters worse for Philly (and far sweeter for Dallas), the Mavs’ traded 2017 first rounder will convert to second-round picks in each of the next two years, as ESPN’s Zach Lowe has reported.
Meanwhile, Noel can go a long way to furthering the Mavs’ improved defense. He’s a unique big man. Even though his offensive game is limited, he can be used to tremendous effect as an athetlic rim runner in Rick Carlisle’s spread pick-and-roll sets and has plenty to offer elsewhere. Racking up a host of defensive plays with steals and blocks (2.7 and 1.7 per 36 minutes, respectively, this season) he’s upped his PER to a career-high 20.9 in the 29 games he’s played this season. In the larger sample size we have from last season, he still averaged 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks, also holding opponents to a stingy 48.6 percent shooting at the rim.
More so than just breaking up passing lanes and protecting the paint with quick strides across the lane as a help defender, Noel has great versatility thanks to how much lateral quickness and mobility he has. Very few centers, let alone 6'11" ones with a 7'4" wingspan, can move their feet like Noel. Such nimbleness, speed, and length allow him to be far more effective covering pick-and-rolls, defending at the perimeter, closing out, and switching onto smaller players than most bigs, and that ability should be utilized to great effect by the Mavs and Carlisle. Now that Noel has a chance to take on a far greater role away from the frontcourt jam in Philly, Noel could emerge as a real defensive stud once he gets to start in Dallas.
So, how about the 76ers? Frankly, there just isn’t much at all to like for them here. The Mavs turned a 23-year-old sophomore in Justin Anderson (the 2015 21st overall pick) into a 22-year-old third year in Nerlens Noel (the 2013 sixth overall pick). The two second-round picks that should be coming to the 76ers won’t make much difference, and even though there are things to like about Anderson’s game, such as his athleticism and stellar rebounding (7.6 boards per 36 minutes), he doesn’t have the same ceiling as a high lottery talent with more rare physical gifts like Noel.
We’ll see Anderson get a chance in Philly, of course, and it’ll be interesting to see what they can get from him, but his limitations with the ball in his hands and a 30.3 percent three-point shot aren’t that encouraging for the only proven return they’re getting for Noel. It goes without saying that two second-round picks don’t turn the tide.
As for Bogut, he’s arriving as someone who desperately wants to be a free agent, and the 76ers will work fast to make that happen. The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that if they can’t organize a trade to dump him with another team, they’ll negotiate a contract buyout.
It’s safe to say the Mavs won this trade handedly. They gave up an old sophomore (albeit one with a couple of nice attributes) who was only giving them 13.9 minutes a night, two fairly needless second-round picks and ditched Bogut’s $11.027 million salary for someone who could be their new franchise center. The only upcoming issue for the Mavs is how much they have to pay Noel this summer when he hits free agency, but clearly they’re ready to pay him a hefty sum after making this trade. There are plenty of reasons for them to do so.
This part of The Process can’t be trusted.
Good job, Mavs.
All statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference and NBA.com.
