Sixers center Nerlens Noel has parted ways with agent Andy Miller of ASM Sports and is expected to sign with Dan Fegan, multiple sources told Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link).
The timing of Noel’s decision to switch agents is intriguing. Noel can become a restricted free agent this summer if the Sixers, as expected, extend his qualifying offer of approximately $5.85MM.
He has expressed reservations about Philadelphia’s frontcourt logjam with fellow lottery picks Jahlil Okafor and Joel Embiid, among others, also fighting for playing time at the power positions.
This could be a signal that Noel will push harder for a trade, or he might simply feel Fegan will negotiate a better deal for him over the summer.
As Luke Adams detailed in our Trade Candidate series, there have been rumblings about Noel’s desire to be dealt. Both Marc Stein of ESPN.com and Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders have reported that Noel would prefer to be moved.
According to recent tweets by Kyler, all indications are that Noel wants to be traded this season, and the Sixers will do everything they can to accommodate him (Twitter links).
Philadelphia’s Big Three could all be available for the first time against the Lakers on Friday. Coach Brett Brown declared that he can successfully juggle their playing time if they make sacrifices. However, it’s generally assumed the Sixers will eventually deal one of them. Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer opined this week that Okafor will likely be the odd man out because his skill set doesn’t mesh with either Noel or Embiid.
Noel made his season debut on Sunday after undergoing knee surgery during training camp, playing 10 minutes against the Pistons. He missed the Sixers’ game against the Raptors on Wednesday with an ankle injury.
I think embiid and okafor is the best combo.embiid’s ability to block shots,specifically,will help jhalil’s lack of defense
But okafor CAN block shots. It’s just everything else on defense that he’s bad at. I’m not a sixers fan, but you have to think embiid and Noel would be scary defensively and could work much better offensively, with embiid stepping away from the basket.
Joel is worth having the offense run through him all game, every game. It’s crazy to say that Joel is a facilitator given TOV rate, but when comparing to Jah he is. Not that Jah can’t pass, he just doesn’t. When Jah runs C the offense stagnants and when he is matched against a shot-blocking C he becomes a huge liability because his spin move doesn’t create enough space nor is his jumper reliable enough to respect. So a shot blocker really only has to wait for the spin move and go straight up because it’s coming 85% of the time and likely with some form of pump fake. THIS IS WHY NOEL AND JAH CANNOT COEXIST and also why Jah and Joel shouldn’t either. Jah needs to play off of illyasova or saric. NOEL at PF with Joel at C is the move here because offense will run through Joel and Joel is such a threat offensively that NOEL doesn’t even need to touch the ball on that end. A weak side rebounder with Noel’s athleticism crashing the boards hard on every Joel 3 or mid range J is a lot to deal with when your already likely double teaming Joel and helping with your weak side big. NOEL can’t crash the boards like that with Jah because Jah takes about 3 mid range jumpers a game and never draws a double until deep in the post. This leaves NOEL open all day for mid range jumpers but I do believe that is the point and is a sound defensive strategy because no noel jumper is an uncontested jumper.
All in all, trading Noel over Jah is absolutely crazy. 1. Defense wins championships is actually pretty accurate 2. Noel plays harder than Jah on both ends of the floor 3. Noel can come off the bench and remain engaged 4. Defense shows up every night with effort, offense requires a little more luck.
I’d stick to this position even if the Noel trade package was way better than one for Jah because no matter what happens with Noel Jah will have to leave to maximize his potential. The Sixers can only offer him diminishing stretches of featured offense because Joel is the top dog and Joel is like Jah except he can shoot from further away than ten feet. Noel has never been a teams top dog and mentally he is of the igoudala mold. We tried to turn Noel into a focal point on offense much like we did with igoudala. This is not their game. Both players are amazing teammates that really just want to hit the court and make life hell for the opposition. You always have a need for players like this so show NOEL the respect he deserves and let him see that his role though narrower than before maximizes his strengths and is absolutely vital to team success.
With out okfor the Sixers lose a real big man if embid goes dwn…but with that. Said Noel brings nothing more than a shot blocker with no offense at all me myself would try and trade both to kings for cousins who could bring what okfor and Noel brings together…because if we wait we AIN’T gonna get anything for them unless they trying to get wall or walker…..we don’t need Rudy gay we need real people who can produce like the last trade they got for.
Joel Embid is like a Noel and Okafor put together . Here’s a thing sixers could move Okafor and Noel. Saric is a power forward with Embid. But see Noel the man out of Philly.
Dear Noel,
Why? You aren’t a star so you won’t be paid like one. Changing agents won’t change your play. It just shows you have an inflated opinion of yourself. Put in the work on the court and in the weight room.
Sincerely,
All NBA Teams
It’s clear Andy Miller is doing everything he can to hurt his image . Sad. Desperate . Not going to fly